it'll! 

mm 


!! 


THE 


BORDER   ROVER. 


BY 


EMERSON  BENNETT. 

AUTHOR  OP  "CLARA  MORELAND,"  "VIOLA,"  "THE  FORGED  WILL,"  "PIO 
NEER'S    DAUGHTER,"   "BRIDE    OP   THE  WILDERNESS,"  "  KATE   CLAREN 
DON,"  "HEIRESS  OP  BELLEFONTE,"  "  WALDE-WARREN,"  ETC. 


Complete  in  two  large  duodecimo   volumes,  neatly  bound,  in  paper  cover. 
Price  One  Dollar. 

Bead  the  following  opinion  of  the  work  from  one  of  our  most 
celebrated  critics. 

"Perhaps  it  is  enough  to  say  of  the  'Border  Rover,'  that  it  is  one 
of  Emerson  Bennett's  best  productions,  and  will  be  sure  to  delight 
all  readers  who  were  pleased  with  the  *  Prairie  Flower'  and  *  Clara 
Moreland,'  to  which  it  may  be  considered  a  companion — the  scenes 
and  incidents  being  something  similar,  and  yet  the  story  totally  un 
like  either  of  the  others.  The  scene  of  the  '  Border  Rover'  is  in  the 
Territory  of  Kansas,  beginning  at  Independence,  Missouri,  and  ex 
tending  all  over  the  plains  or  prairies  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It 
is  full  of  thrilling  adventure  and  hair-breadth  escapes,  love,  ro 
mance  and  humor,  and  the  characters  are  trappers,  traders,  hunters, 
travelers,  guides,  Indians,  &c.,  &c.  Furthermore,  the  scenes  are 
geographically  correct,  the  incidents  of  actual  occurrence,  and  those 
who  wish  to  see  Kansas  as  it  was  a  few  years  since,  will  find  in  this 
most  exciting  story  some  very  accurate  and  valuable  information. 

"  We  feel  no  hesitation  in  placing  Mr.  Bennett  as  foremost  among 
our  American  writers.  Of  course  we  do  not  include  metaphysics, 
nor  history,  nor  philosophy,  (although  it  must  be  confessed  that  his 
writings  prove  his  perfect  familiarity  with  each,)  but  we  mean  that 
he  is  the  best  writer,  taken  all  in  all,  of  any  in  this  country,  in  the 
particular  field  of  literature  which  he  has  chosen.  There  are  doubt 
less  many  writers  who  excel  him  in  some  minor  points,  but  taken  as 
a  whole,  his  works  are  unrivaled  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

"  In  all  that  he  writes,  there  seems  to  be  an  irresistible  charm, 
holding  the  reader  spell-bound  from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  That 
this  gift  is  natural,  and  not  acquired,  we  assume  from  reading  some 

(S3) 


34          E:IERSON    BENNETT'S    WORKS. 

of  his  earlier  productions.  We  well  remember  the  eagerness  with 
which  the  *  Prairie  Flower'  was  sought  after  and  devoured  'upon 
its  first  appearance  in  the  West.  Every  body  read  it — every  body 
talked  about  it,  and  for  a  time,  not  to  have  seen  the  'Prairie 
Flower,'  was  to  acknowledge  yourself  guilty  of  unpardonable  igno 
rance.  Since  then  many  other  of  his  works  have  appeared,  descrip 
tive  of  western  and  southern  life,  with  the  characters  drawn  so 
faithfully,  that  one  can  hardly  go  on  board  a  steamboat,  or  enter  a 
hotel,  without  recognizing  some  of  the  living  shapes  of  his  ideal  he 
roes  and  heroines. 

"  Of  Mr.  Bennett,  personally,  we  know  nothing ;  having  never  seen 
him,  or  even  heard  a  person  speak  of  him  who  has  been  honored  with 
his  acquaintance.  But  his  reputation  is  the  common  property  of 
all  lovers  of  the  noble  maxims  which  he  inculcates,  the  morality 
which  he  teaches,  and  the  virtue  which  he  adorns,  in  a  style  at  once 
the  purest  and  most  fascinating.  Under  his  glowing  pen,  vice  is 
stripped  of  its  gaudy  coloring  and  held  up  for  abhorrence  in  all 
its  haggard  deformity ;  while  virtue,  humble  and  lowly,  clothed  in 
rags,  is  won  from  its  timid  retreat,  and  brought  forth  that  the  good 
in  heart  may  do  it  homage. 

"Let  those  who  have  never  yet  been  familiar  with  his  writings 
read,  and  they  can  then  judge  for  themselves  whether  we  have  over 
estimated  the  abilities  of  Emerson  Bennett  as  a  writer." 

EMERSON  BENNETT'S  OTHER  WORKS. 

PIONEER'S     DAUGHTER;    and,   THE    UNKNOWN  COUNTESS. 

Complete  in  one  large  octavo  volume.     Price  50  cents. 
CLARA  MORELAND.     Price  60  cents;  or  in  cloth,  gilt,  $1.00. 
VIOLA.     Price  50  cents;  or  in  cloth,  gilt,  75  cents. 
THE  FORGED  WILL.     Price  50  cents;  or  in  cloth,  gilt,  $1.00. 
ELLEN  NORBURY.     50  cents;  or  in  one  volume,  cloth,  $1.00. 
BRIDE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS.     Price  50  cents. 
KATE  CLARENDON.     Price  50  cents;  or  in  cloth,  gilt,  75  cents. 
HEIRESS  OF  BELLEFONTE  AND  WALDE-WARREN,  50  cents. 

Jgg^T*  Copies  of  any  of  Emerson  Bennett's  works  will  be  sent  to  any 
one  to  any  part  of  the  United  States,  free  of  postage,  on  remitting  the 
price  of  the  works  they  may  wish  to  the  publisher,  in  a  letter. 

Published  and  for  sale  at  the  Cheap  Book  and  Publishing  Esta 
blishment  of  T.  B.  PETERSON, 

Xo.  102  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia. 

To  whom  all  orders  should  come  addressed. 


SCENE    ON    THE    PRAIRIE. 


THE 


BORDER   ROVER. 


BY 


EMERSON    BENNETT, 

AUTHOR     OF      "CLARA     MORELAND,"     "VIOLA,"     "FORGED     WILL," 

"PIONEERS'     DAUGHTER,"      "BRIDE    OF     THE    WILDERNESS," 

"HEIRESS  OF   BELLEFONTE,"  "  WALDE-WARREN,"  ETC. 


"  We  have  perused  this  work  with  some  attention,  and  do  not  hesitate  to  pro 
nounce  it  one  of  the  very  best  productions  of  the  talented  author.  The  scenes 
are  laid  in  Kansas  and  the  adjoining  frontier.  There  is  not  a  page  that  does  not 
glow  with  thrilling  and  interesting  incident,  and  will  well  repay  the  reader  for 
the  time  occupied  in  perusing  it.  The  characters  are  most  admirably  drawn,  and 
are  perfectly  natural  throughout.  We  have  derived  so  much  gratification  from 
the  perusal  of  this  charming  work,  that  we  are  anxious  to  make  our  readers 
share  it  with  us;  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  recommend  it  to  be  read  by  all 
persons,  who  are  fond  of  romantic  adventures.  Mr.  Bennett  is  a  spirited  and 
vigorous  writer,  and  his  works  deserve  to  be  generally  read ;  not  only  because 
they  are  well  written,  but  that  they  are,  in  most  part,  taken  from  events  con 
nected  with  the  history  of  our  own  country,  from  which  much  valuable  informa 
tion  is  derived,  and  should,  therefore,  have  a  double  claim  upon  our  preference, 
over  those  works, where  the  incidents  are  gleaned  from  the  romantic  legends  of 
old  castles,  and  foreign  climes." — Saturday  Courier. 


T.  B.  PETEUSON,  NO.  102  CHESTNUT  STREET. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1857,  by 
T.   B.   PETERSON, 

la  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  Slates,  in  and  for  the 
Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


TO 


pl^v 
OSSIAN   E.  DODGE,  ESQ. 


LATE     OP     BOSTON,    MASS, 


NOW  OF  CLEVELAND,  OHIO, 


(Bbifor,  Composer,  Wotnlht   anb 


WITH    SINCERE    FEELINGS 


OP     FRIENDSHIP     AND     ESTEEM, 


THIS  WORK  IS  INSCRIBED, 


BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


Philadelphia,  February  28, 1857. 


(37) 

MM5530 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PACK 

LEAVING  HOME, 43 

CHAPTER  II. 
THE  OLD  TRAPPER, 53 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  NEW  FRIEND,       72 

CHAPTER  IY. 
PREPARATIONS  FOE  OUR  JOURNEY,       85 

CHAPTER  V. 
BORDER  INCIDENTS,       99 

CHAPTER  YI. 
OUR  FIRST  CAMP, 115 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  THRILLING  ADVENTURE, 128 

CHAPTER  YIII. 
ADELE  AND  MYSTERY, 139 

CHAPTER  IX. 

RETURN  TO  CAMP, 156 

(39) 


40  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X.  PAGB 

OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED, 169 

CHAPTER  XI. 
STARTLING  NEWS, 186 

CHAPTER  XII. 
ON  TUB  GRAND  PRAIRIES, 201 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  NIGHT  TO  BE  REMEMBERED, 215 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
ATTACKED  BY  INDIANS, 226 

CHAPTER  XY. 
AN  OLD  COMPANION, 237 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  MYSTERIOUS  STRANGER,       248 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
REJOIN  MY  FRIEND,       264 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
THE  PARTING  AT  BENT'S,       271 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
THE  EXPEDITION,       280 

CHAPTER  XX. 
TAKEN  PRISONER, 291 


CONTENTS.  41 

CHAPTER  XXI.  fua 

THE  LOST  FOUND, 302 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
FLIGHT  AND  PURSUIT, 313 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
THE  PARCHED  DESERT, 329 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
THE  WOLVES  OUR  FRIENDS,       342 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
THE  FAITH  OF  MY  COMPANION, 357 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
SURROUNDED  BY  PERILS, 371 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
A  NIGHT  OF  HORROR,       382 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
ON  THE  MOUNTAINS, 397 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
SICKNESS  AND  DESPAIR, 407 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
A  LONG  CAPTIVITY, 414 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
A  WONDERFUL  SURPRISE, 428 


42  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXXII.  PAQE 

THE  OLD  TRAPPER'S  JOKE, 443 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
SERIOUS  SPECULATIONS, 455 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
NEWS  FROM  HOME, 467 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
A  LONG  JOURNEY, 478 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
A  WONDERFUL  DISCOVERY, 488 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
THE  MYSTERY  SOLVED, ,    .    .     .    .    498 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
THE  FINALE ,    508 


THE   BORDER   ROVER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

LEAVING    HOME. 

I  BELIEVE  it  is  customary,  when  an  individual  sets 
out  to  write  an  autobiography,  to  begin  at  the  begin 
ning — that  is  to  say,  with  his  first  recollection — and 
give  a  detailed  account  of  the  passing  of  his  earliest 
years.  I  shall  not  adopt  this  plan ;  because,  in  the 
first  place,  the  earlier  years  of  my  existence  were  not 
marked  with  events  of  peculiar  interest  to  the  reader; 
and  in  the  second  place,  my  narrative  is  intended 
merely  as  a  chronicle  of  the  most  remarkable  scenes 
and  adventures  through  which  I  passed  after  arriving 
at  the  age  of  manhood.  It  may  not  be  improper, 
however,  to  devote  a  few  words  to  my  birth,  parent 
age  and  past  life,  in  order  to  fairly  introduce  myself 
to  the  reader,  with  whom  it  is  my  design  to  make  a 
rather  long,  and  I  hope  agreeable,  journey. 

I  was  born  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  and  am  the 

youngest  child  of  four,  and  an  only  son.     My  father, 

(43) 


44  :    0: HE    BORDER    ROVER. 

Colonel  Rivers,  was  a  highly  respected  importing 
merchant ;  and  though  now  retired  from  the  cares  of 
business,  is  still  living ;  as  are,  also,  my  mother  and 
two  of  my  sisters — the  last  mentioned  being  married 
and  settled  in  the  city  of  my  nativity — and  both  of 
their  husbands,  I  may  add,  are  active  partners  in 
what  was  once  the  house  of  Eivers  &  Co.  It  was  the 
cherished  design  of  my  father  to  have  me  succeed 
him  in  business,  and  so  perpetuate  the  firm,  which 
first  took  its  name  from  his  father  and  father-in-law ; 
for  my  father  married  the  daughter  of  Lemuel  Roland, 
the  co-partner  of  my  grandfather  Rivers,  and  I  was 
appropriately  christened  Roland,  the  surname  of  my 
mother:  I  say  it  was  the  cherished  design  of  my 
father  that  I  should  succeed  him  in  business,  and 
certainly  it  was  reasonable  in  him  to  wish  to  see  the 
firm  of  Rivers  &  Co.  carried  down  at  least  another 
generation.  Moreover,  I  took  a  youthful  pride  in 
the  knowledge  that  I  had  a  legal  right  to  support  and 
extend  a  mercantile  title  begun  with  my  ancestors  on 
both  sides,  and  so  harmoniously  cemented;  and  could 
I,  on  arriving  at  the  proper  age,  have  been  contented 
with  an  even,  peaceful  business-life,  the  darling  hope 
of  my  worthy  father  would  have  been  realized. 

But,  unfortunately  for  this  design,  there  was  a 
restless  something  implanted  in  my  very  nature 
which  demanded  change,  even  in  my  earlier  years, 
and  rapidly  grew  and  developed  with  my  growth,  till 
at  last  inclination  and  desire  became  too  strong  for 
reason  and  judgment.  In  my  school-boy  days  I  bat- 


LEAVING    HOME.  45 

tied  against  it ;  and  a  thousand  times,  when  treading 
the  venerable  counting-room  of  my  father,  did  I 
resolve  to  conquer,  and  force  contentment  with  my 
lot.  A  thousand  times  did  I  mentally  say,  "The  firm 
of  Eivers  &  Co.  shall  never  be  changed  while  I  have 
being ;"  and  a  thousand  times  did  some  evil  genius 
seem  to  whisper,  "  You  will  never  tread  in  the  foot 
steps  of  your  honored  predecessors." 

Why  could  I  not  be  contented  while  surrounded  by 
the  luxuries  of  wealth?  Why  came  that  incessant 
longing  for  change,  which  made  unhappy  my  waking 
hours,  and  mingled  ever  in  my  dreams?  Had  I  a 
destiny  to  fulfil,  which  would  take  me  far  from 
home  and  friends,  and  surround  me  with  hardships 
and  perils,  and  bow  with  grief  the  venerable  heads 
most  dear  to  me  ?  I  shuddered  at  the  thought,  and 
yet  felt  that  the  thought  was  only  the  precursor  of 
the  reality. 

My  father,  though  ever  willing  to  indulge  me  in 
any  and  every  rational  and  reasonable  pastime,  was 
withal  too  strict  a  disciplinarian  of  the  old  school  to 
permit  a  single  hour  of  the  twenty-four  to  pass  in 
what  might  be  termed  sheer  idleness.  Every  minute 
had  to  be  as  strictly  accounted  for  as  if  every  minute 
were  a  dollar.  Though  wealthy  to  an  extent  which 
cast  many  so-called  opulent  families  in  the  shade,  it 
was  a  principle  with  him  to  have  his  children  in 
structed  in  every  branch  of  learning  and  labor  which 
was  likely  to  be  of  use  to  them,  in  the  event  of  being 
reduced  to  a  state  of  comparative  poverty.  A 


46  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

thorough  business-working  man  himself,  he  did  not, 
like  too  many  indulgent  fathers,  think  his  children  of 
so  superior  a  mould  as  to  be  disgraced  by  honest  toil. 
On  the  contrary,  his  daughters  were  taught  to  manage 
the  kitchen  as  well  as  adorn  the  parlor,  and  I  often, 
found  my  task  with  clerks  of  the  lowest  salary ;  and 
in  my  rough,  worsted  roundabout,  "with  my  labor- 
soiled  hands  and  face,  was  not  unfrequently  mistaken 
for  one  of  them,  by  pompous,  perfumed,  and  dashingly 
dressed  customers.  I  had  my  hours  for  schooling, 
recreation  and  labor ;  and  though  I  sometimes 
thought  the  last  unnecessary  and  degrading,  yet  I 
knew  too  well  my  father's  inflexible  adherence  to 
system,  to  think  of  remonstrating.  I  thus  began  to 
labor  so  young  that  I  remember  not  a  period  of  idle 
ness  ;  and  sorely  was  my  pride  many  times  wounded, 
during  the  years  of  my  minority,  by  seeing  the  sons 
of  clerks  better  dressed  and  having  more  freedom 
than  the  only  son  of  a  princely  merchant.  But  I 
have  lived  to  thank  my  father  for  his  upright  course, 
for  it  saved  me  perhaps  from  dissipation,  and  certainly 
from  many  a  temptation,  and  begot  habits  of  manly, 
energetic  activity  and  self-dependence,  in  contradis 
tinction  to  effeminate  indolence  and  infantile  helpless 
ness,  which  so  generally  curse  the  lives  of  rich  men's 
sons.  "Would  to  Heaven,  for  the  good  of  mankind, 
that  every  father  were  like  mine  in  this  respect  I 

I  rose,  by  degrees,  from  the  position  of  a  hard 
working  clerk — the  common  packer  of  bales  and 
boxes — to  be  assistant  book-keeper  in  my  father's 


LEAVING    HOME.  47 

counting-room ;  and  two  years  at  the  desk  made 
me  thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  system  of  doing 
business  and  the  extensive  operations  of  the  establish 
ment.  I  had  now  completed  my  twentieth  year,  and 
another  twelve-month  would  see  me  my  own  master, 
and,  as  my  father  most  ardently  hoped,  the  head  of 
the  house ;  for  it  had  been  his  favorite  project  for 
years,  to  celebrate  his  retirement  from  business  and 
my  succession  on  my  twenty-first  anniversary.  How 
he  was  doomed  to  disappointment,  which  almost 
broke  his  heart,  I  shall  presently  show. 

I  have  spoken  of  a  restless  desire  for  change,  begin 
ning  with  my  earlier  years,  growing  upon  me  with  my 
growth,  and  strengthening  with  my  strength.  Not 
withstanding  my  constant  and  arduous  employment, 
and  my  earnest  striving  to  be  contented  in  the  envied 
position  where  fortune  had  placed  me,  I  could  not 
control  or  govern  my  fancy,  which,  during  every 
unoccupied  moment,  awake  or  asleep,  was  continually 
roving  far,  far  away,  to  some  unknown  region  beyond 
my  natural  view.  Yet  my  desire  did  not  extend  to 
Oriental  lands — the  pomp  and  degradation,  the  splen 
dor  and  misery  of  ancient  cities — but  to  the  grandeur 
and  solitude  of  nature ;  of  nature  unchanged  by  art; 
of  nature  wild,  free,  primitive ;  of  nature  as  found  on 
the  ocean,  the  desert,  the  prairie,  or  the  rocky  steeps 
of  the  howling  wilderness.  Vainly  did  I  struggle  to 
crush  this  desire,  which  I  kept  locked  in  my  breast ; 
vainly  did  I  bring  reason,  filial  affection,  pride,  ambi 
tion,  and  all  the  opposing  faculties  of  which  I  was 


48  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

master,  to  bear  against  it;  the  never-ceasing  voice 
within — a  voice  like  that  which  bade  the  Wandering 
Jew  move  on — cried,  "  Go  I  go !  go  !" 

Discontented  and  unhappy  for  years,  I  now  grew 
melancholy  and  abstracted.  I  could  not  relish  my 
food ;  my  sleep  became  broken  and  feverish ;  and  my 
pale,  sickly  complexion,  hollow  eyes,  and  sudden, 
nervous  starts,  gradually  betrayed  my  mental  suffer 
ings.  For  a  long  time  my  father  seemed  not  to  notice 
the  change — a  change  which  I  remarked  with  regret 
— and  concerning  which,  when  questioned  by  my 
mother,  or  some  of  my  intimate  friends,  I  made  evasive 
replies,  and  added  a  forced  laugh,  to  imply  it  was 
nothing  serious. 

At  last,  one  day,  my  father  called  me  aside,  and 
with  considerable  show  of  feeling,  said : 

"  Koland,  you  are  not  well !" 

"  I  certainly  do  not  feel  well,"  I  answered,  for  with 
him  I  was  resolved  to  be  frank. 

"  I  have  for  some  time  remarked  a  change  in  you," 
he  continued ;  "  and  I  perceive  you  get  thinner  every 
day,  although  you  evidently  struggle  to  overcome 
your  disease,  whatever  it  may  be.  Is  your  mind  at 
ease  ?" 

"  Why  do  you  ask,  father  ?" 

"  Because,  in  your  case,  I  fancy  I  detect  a  mental 
anxiety  with  which  the  body  sympathizes." 

My  father,  it  will  thus  be  seen,  had  observed  me 
closely,  and  with  a  discernment  for  which  I  had  not 
given  him  credit. 


LEAVING    HOME.  49 

"  I  cannot  say  that  my  mind  is  at  ease,"  I  replied 
to  his  question. 

"  Well,  Koland,  speak  out,  and  frankly." 

"  I  will,  father.  I  feel  that  I  am  too  much  confined 
here.  I  long  for  travel — for  change." 

"And  where  would  you  go,  my  son?" 

"  Anywhere,"  I  replied,  eagerly,  "  so  that  the  jour 
ney  be  long ;  but  I  would  prefer" — 

"Well,"  he  said,  as  I  hesitated,  " what  would  you 
prefer?" 

I  thought  of  the  Western  prairies,  of  which  I  had 
recently  read  some  glowing  accounts,  and  had  fre 
quently  seen  in  my  dreams,  and  felt  prompted  to 
name  them  as  my  destination  ;  but  a  moment's  reflec 
tion  convinced  me  that  I  should  thus  be  asking  a 
favor  which  would  be  refused,  and  I  instantly  substi 
tuted  : 

"  I  would  go  westward." 

"  A  long  journey  westward !"  he  repeated,  musingly, 
and  closely  eyeing  me  the  while ;  "  that  is  rather  a 
vague  request.*  I  really  do  not  like  to  spare  you,  for 
in  less  than  three  months  now  you  will  be  of  age,  and 
then,  you  know,  I  intend  to  put  the  responsibility  of 
the  house  on  your  shoulders.  But,  really,  you  need 
rest  and  change,  and  so  I  have  a  mind  to  send  you  to 
St.  Louis,  to  settle  a  long  standing  account  with  Wil- 
lard  &  Brothers." 

"  Do,  father,  please  I"  I  eagerly  rejoined,  while  my 
nerves  seemed  to  thrill  with  rapture,  and  my  blood  to 
leap  wildly  through  my  veins ;  for  the  city  which  he 
2 


50  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

intended  for  my  destination,  only  rested  in  my  mind 
as  the  way-mark  to  a  longer  journey. 

"You  seem  excited,  Koland,"  said  my  father;  "I 
have  not  seen  your  eyes  so  sparkle,  and  so  much  color 
in  your  face,  for  a  long  time.  Are  you  really  so  de 
lighted  at  leaving  home  ?" 

"  Pardon  me,  father  !  I  really  was  not  thinking  of 
the  parting  from  you  and  mother ;  but  of  the  delights 
of  travel  and  change." 

"  You  will  not  find  the  journey  so  delightful  as  you 
anticipate,  my  son;  but  experience  will  best  prove 
the  truth  of  my  words.  But  you  must  not  disappoint 
me  of  your  presence  here  on  your  birth-day.  I  have 
looked  forward  to  that  point  of  time  for  many  years, 
and  your  absence  would  make  it  a  day  of  gloom  in 
stead  of  a  day  of  rejoicing." 

I  made  no  reply,  and  my  eye  sought  the  ground, 
for  my  heart  acknowledged  the  guilt  of  deceiving  a 
parent  I  loved  and  venerated.  My  father  probably 
mistook  the  expression  for  one  resulting  from  a  far 
different  cause,  for  he  immediately  inquired : 

u  When  would  you  like  to  start,  Eoland  ?" 

"  As  soon  as  you  think  proper,  father." 

"  Let  me  see — this  is  Friday.  Be  ready  to  leave  on 
Monday  next." 

The  night  following  this  decision  I  could  not  sleep. 
I  lay  tossing  to  and  fro,  my  fancy  revelling  in  the  de 
lights  of  unbounded  freedom,  and  my  heart  heavy 
with  a  half-formed  design  of  doing  wrong.  Should  I 
thus  go  forth  to  return  at  some  distant  period,  or  per- 


LEAVING    HOME.  51 

chance  to  return  no  more?  Could  I  bid  my  kind 
parents  farewell  with  a  lie  in  my  heart,  if  not  upon  my 
tongue  ?  Had  I  been  so  carefully  and  fondly  reared, 
to  be  the  instrument,  in  the  hands  of  Fate,  to  strike  a 
cruel  blow  against  the  happiness  of  those  I  loved  ? 
Should  I  let  selfish  desire,  with  one  fell  swoop,  bear 
down  every  principle  of  right  and  honor,  reason,  duty 
and  love?  But  then,  the  glowing  pictures  of  fancy 
— how  bright,  how  beautiful,  how  enchanting  they 
rose  before  my  mind's  vision]  A  green  earth,  with 
gorgeous  flowers,  a  balmy  air,  a  blue  sky,  and  a  glor 
ious  sun,  with  the  freedom  of  the  untamed  eagle, 
seemed  stretching  away  beyond  the  narrow  path  of 
duty.  Should  I  not  for  once  overstep  its  circum 
scribed  limits,  and  let  my  soul  feast,  and  fill,  and 
expand  with  the  divine  of  nature  ?  Should  I  not  rise 
superior  to  any  earthly  tie — strained  but  not  severed 
— for  the  reward  of  a  life-long  gratification  ?  Well,  I 
could  not  say — I  could  not  decide.  There  was  weight 
and  force  on  either  side ;  and,  set  in  motion  by  doubt, 
they  rocked  the  mind  till  every  fount  of  feeling  cast 
troubled  waters  to  the  surface. 

I  will  not  detain  the  reader  with  the  tedium  of 
preparation,  or  the  scenes  of  parting.  All  separations 
from  those  we  love,  when  a  long  future,  with  its  fear 
ful  uncertainties,  stretches  between  the  present  and 
the  point  of  probable  reunion,  are  periods  of  trial; 
and  the  heart  pours  forth  its  gathered  affections  with 
the  truth  and  purity  of  something  holy,  and  then 
struggles  in  anguish  to  recover  the  vitality  which  has 


52  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

gone  from  it,  as  the  virtue  went  forth  from  the  Great 
Master. 

The  parting  from  my  parents  and  friends  was  the 
more  trying  to  me,  that  I  felt  guilty  of  a  deception 
concerning  my  return;  for  already  I  knew  myself 
secretly  yielding  to  the  temptation  of  a  prolonged 
absence;  and  once  away,  and  the  poignancy  of  parting 
dulled  by  time,  I  could  not  say  to  what  extent  the 
power  of  desire  might  prevail  over  affection  and  duty. 

"  Something  tells  me  you  will  not  speedily  return," 
said  my  mother,  with  maternal  tenderness,  a  tear 
glistening  in  her  eye.  "You  are  going  from  home 
for  the  first  time,  Koland,  and  may  your  journey 
prove  a  safe  and  pleasant  one !  Take  care  of  your 
health,  and  avoid  temptation,  and  may  Heaven  bless 
and  prosper  you ! " 

"  Eemember  my  instructions,  and  bring  not  dis 
appointment  to  my  hope ! "  said  my  father,  as  he 
grasped  my  hand  for  the  last  time. 

My  heart  was  fall ;  my  eyes  were  dim  ;  and  silently 
turning  away,  I  sprung  into  the  carriage,  and  was 
rapidly  whirled  from  the  most  touching  scene  which 
had  ever  been  presented  in  my  then  uneventful  exist 
ence. 


THE     OLD     TKAPPEK.  53 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   OLD  TRAPPEK. 

YEARS  have  glided  down  the  stream  of  time  into 
the  great  ocean  of  the  past,  since  I  first  bade  adieu  to 
friends  and  home — years  teeming  with  events  that 
stand  out  in  my  memory  like  mountains  from  a  plain 
— and  yet  vivid,  as  if  they  were  of  yesterday,  is  the 
recollection  of  the  sensations  I  experienced  when  first 
rejoicing  in  the  liberty  for  which  my  imprisoned 
spirit  had  so  ardently  longed.  The  first  keen  mental 
pangs  of  parting  over,  and  T  felt  as  if  I  had  entered 
upon  a  new  existence.  My  soul  seemed  to  soar  into 
boundless  regions  of  eternal  sunlight,  and  every  nerve 
thrilled  with  a  rapture  indescribable.  With  what 
emotions  did  I  view  the  scene  below  me  from  some 
lofty  summit  of  the  Alleghanies  !  "With  what  enchant 
ment  did  the  picture  of  hill  and  vale  and  silver  stream, 
mellowed  by  distance,  and  reposing  in  a  dreamy 
atmosphere  of  blue,  present  itself  to  my  vision  I  while 
green  leaves  waved  above  me,  bright  flowers  bloomed 
beside  me,  and  forest  minstrels  all  around  me  filled 
my  ear  with  music !  It  was  the  spring  of  the  year, 
and  the  spring  of  my  soul ;  and  I  looked  up  at  the 
bright  sun,  and  inhaled  the  pure  air,  and  thanked 
God  I  had  a  conscious  being  among  the  beauties  of 
His  creation. 


54:  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

My  journey  to  St.  Louis  was  marked  with,  no  inci 
dents  worthy  of  record.  I  formed  no  acquaintance 
with  any  of  my  fellow  travellers,  and  took  no  part  nor 
interest  in  the  amusements  with  which  many  of  them 
whiled  away  a  goodly  portion  of  their  time,  as  we 
steamed  down  the  beautiful  Ohio  and  up  the  turbid 
waters  of  the  Mississippi.  The  time  unoccupied  by 
sleep,  I  mostly  spent  on  the  upper  deck,  filled  with  a 
delight  that  sought  no  vent  in  words,  at  the  constant 
change  presented  to  my  view.  It  seemed  as  if  I  could 
never  weary  of  the  green  lawns,  the  shady  groves, 
the  gentle  undulations,  made  picturesque  by  thriving 
villages  and  solitary  dwellings,  which  margined  La 
Belle  Riviere  for  hundreds  of  miles ;  and  even  when 
these  charming  scenes  were  lost,  by  entering  upon 
the  Father  of  Eivers,  I  found  a  new  source  of  delight 
in  the  contemplation  of  that  mighty  body  of  water, 
rolling  on  in  stern,  gloomy  grandeur,  year  after  year, 
and  age  after  age,  unceasing,  eternal,  to  mingle  its 
collected  thousands  of  fresh  water  streams  with  the 
briny  waves  of  the  Gulf. 

I  arrived  at  St.  Louis  much  improved  in  health  and 
spirits.  I  felt  that  my  journey,  with  change  of  clime 
and  scene,  had  infused  a  new  life  into  my  whole 
being ;  and  I  only  seemed  to  need  the  consent  of  my 
parents  to  prolong  that  journey  into  the  great  wilder 
ness  of  the  West,  to  render  my  happiness  complete. 

But  could  that  consent  be  obtained  ?  And  if  not, 
should  I  venture  to  go  without  it  ?  On  leaving  home, 
as  the  reader  knows,  I  had  partially  resolved  not  to 


THE     OLD     TRAPPER.  55 

return  until  I  had  in  reality,  as  I  often  had  in  fancy, 
visited  the  great  prairies ;  and  now  I  "began  to  fear 
lest  the  combined  sin  of  filial  disobedience  and  decep 
tion  should  meet  with  a  just  retribution,  and  for 
several  days  my  mind  was  much  troubled  concerning 
my  future  course.  I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of 
returning  to  the  toil  of  a  business  unsuited  to  the- 
bent  of  my  mind,  and  for  which  I  felt  a  strong  repug 
nance  ;  I  did  not  believe  my  father  would  yield  his 
consent  to  the  project  I  had  in  view,  and  which  would 
necessarily  destroy  his  long-cherished  hope ;  and  to 
act  in  disobedience  to  his  wishes  and  commands, 
seemed  little  short  of  a  crime. 

Under  the  circumstances,  what  was  I  to  do  ?  True, 
I  should  soon  be  of  age ;  a  few  more  weeks,  and  I 
should  have  a  right,  according  to  the  laws  of  man,  to 
prosecute  my  desire ;  but  should  I  have  any  more 
right,  according  to  the  laws  of  God,  to  strain,  if  not 
sever,  the  ties  of  parental  affection,  and  add  a  heavy 
weight  of  sorrow  to  the  weight  of  years  of  those  I 
loved  ?  No  !  I  could  not  set  forth  into  the  wilderness 
with  a  painful  feeling  of  self-condemnation.  Honor, 
duty,  gratitude  and  love  demanded  a  sacrifice  of  my 
selfish  purpose — and  I  would  make  it.  I  would  re 
turn — I  would  relinquish  my  brightest  hope,  or 
reserve  my  design  for  a  more  fitting  period. 

With  this  decision  my  mind  became  tranquil,  and 
I  sought  and  found  enjoyment  in  everything  around 
me.  Now  that  I  had  removed  the  cloud  from  my 
spirit,  nature  seemed  to  wear  a  more  cheerful  aspect. 


56  THE    BORDER    KOVEK. 

The  sun  shone  brighter,  the  air  grew  purer,  and  the 
breeze  blew  softer.  I  turned  my  eyes  longingly 
toward  the  west,  sighed  a  farewell  to  my  desire,  and 
believed  I  had  conquered  myself.  Alas  !  how  little 
do  we  know  ourselves !  If  it  be  true  that  we  know 
not  our  friends  till  we  have  tried  them,  it  is  equally 
true  that  we  know  not  the  strength  of  our  own  re 
solves  till  we  have  put  them  to  the  test. 

My  business  with  Willard  &  Brothers  occupied  a 
portion  of  my  time  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  During 
that  period,  however,  I  had  leisure  to  ramble  about 
the  city  and  its  environs ;  and  when  the  ostensible 
purpose  for  which  I  had  left  home  was  accomplished, 
I  found  myself  ready  to  set  out  upon  my  return. 
With  this  view  I  one  day  repaired  to  the  steamboat 
landing,  intending  to  select  a  boat  to  my  liking,  and 
engaged  a  passage  to  Louisville  or  Cincinnati.  As 
chance,  or  fate,  or  Providence  would  have  it — for  by 
some  one  of  these  terms  we  are  wont  to  designate 
whatever  happens  unexpectedly,  or  with  that  coinci 
dence  which  seems  to  tend  to  a  mysterious  design 
and  bears  upon  the  supremacy  of  our  present  or 
future  good  or  ill — as  chance  would  have  it,  I  say,  in 
strolling  along  the  landing,  I  espied  a  steamer  about 
to  start  on  its  periodical  voyage  up  the  Missouri,  its 
final  destination  being  Fort  Leavenworth.  Without 
the  remotest  intention  of  engaging  a  passage,  and 
only  prompted  by  an  idle  curiosity,  I  stepped  on 
board.  I  found  the  firemen  busy  in  engendering 
steam,  and  learned  that  in  the  course  of  an  hour  the 


THE     OLD     TRAPPER.  57 

boat  would  be  under  way.  Several  passengers  were 
lounging  about  the  decks  and  cabin,  and  among  them 
a  few  whose  dress  and  appearance  indicated  a  long 
familiarity  with  the  prairie  and  the  wilderness. 

Here  then  came  temptation  in  another  guise.  Why 
not  extend  my  journey  to  the  borders  of  that  region 
I  so  longed  to  explore  ?  I  could  return  with  the  boat, 
and  have  plenty  of  time  to  reach  home  before  my 
birth-day.  And  besides,  I  fancied  I  could  derive 
much  gratification,  and  increase  my  knowledge  of 
wild  western  life,  by  a  conversation  with  men  who 
had  spent  years  beyond  the  limits  of  civilization  and 
law,  and  who  had  perhaps  seen  the  fierce  savage  on 
his  native  soil  and  the  wild  beasts  in  their  very  lairs. 
In  short,  I  was  resolved  to  go ;  and  a  few  minutes  suf 
ficed  to  put  my  baggage  on  the  steamer,  and  within 
an  hour  I  was  gliding  up  the  great  river  on  a  still 
westward  journey. 

It  was  natural,  under  the  circumstances,  that  I 
should  seek  an  early  occasion  to  form  something  of 
an  acquaintance  with  these  daring  and  hardy  bor 
derers  ;  and  for  this  purpose,  as  soon  as  the  boat  was 
fairly  under  way,  I  descended  to  the  lower  deck, 
where  I  found  a  single  party,  with  a  pack  of  greasy 
cards,  already  deeply  absorded  in  the  popular  game 
of  euchre,  a  small  amount  of  money  being  staked,  just 
to  make  it  interesting.  They  had  drawn  up  some 
salt  bags  for  seats,  around  a  box  of  goods,  which 
served  them  for  a  table,  and  were  as  intently  engaged 
as  if  life  and  death  depended  on  the  result — therefore 


58  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

it  was  out  of  the  question  for  me  to  think  of  inter 
rogating  them.  A  little  further  on  was  a  small  party 
of  soldiers,  on  their  way  out  to  the  Fort,  under  the 
charge  of  a  very  pompous  little  sergeant,  who 
seemed  determined  to  keep  them  apart  from  all  per 
sons  not  in  the  line  military,  and  allow  them  as  little 
liberty  as  if  on  a  regular  drill.  It  was  amusing  to  me 
— though  probably  not  to  those  to  whom  his  word 
was  law — to  see  this  little  officer  strutting  about,  and 
occasionally  giving  orders  to  this  one  and  that,  with 
the  air  of  a  general  directing  the  movements  of  an 
army.  I  could  not  avoid  smiling  at  his  peacock 
attitudes ;  and  chancing  to  observe  me,  he  frowned  as 
heavily  as  his  little  forehead  and  thin  eyebrows  would 
permit,  and  putting  on  some  extra  dignity,  and  cross 
ing  his  arms  a  la  Napoleon,  he  remarked,  in  a  general 
way,  though  looking  fiercely  at  me  the  while : 

"  It  is  a pity  that  ignorant  civilians  have  not 

been  under  that  system  of  discipline  which  teaches 
every  man  to  mind  his  own  business  ! " 

At  this  I  laughed  aloud,  and  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  whole  military  corps.  Some  of  the  men  smiled, 
and  gave  me  a  mischievous  wink,  unseen  by  the 
pompous  little  sergeant,  who  immediately  turned  his 
back  upon  me  with  an  air  of  supreme  contempt. 

Near  the  stern  of  the  boat  was  a  party  of  German 
emigrants,  some  forty  in  number — men,  women  and 
children — on  their  way  to  take  possession  of  a  govern 
ment  purchase,  which  in  their  hands  would  doubtless 
become  a  thriving  settlement  in  a  few  years.  There 


THE     OLD     TRAPPER.  59 

were  a  few  other  rough  specimens  of  the  frontier, 
lounging  about  in  various  attitudes ;  but  none,  save 
the  card-playing  party,  that  seemed  by  their  peculiar 
dress  and  appearance  to  be  familiar  with  that  life  in 
the  remote  wilderness  which  for  me  had  all  the  attrac 
tions  of  genuine  romance,  and  concerning  which  I  was 
so  eager  to  obtain  further  information. 

After  sauntering  up  and  clown  the  after  deck  some 
two  or  three  times,  to  the  no  small  annoyance  of  my 
particular  friend,  the  little  sergeant — who,  in  seamen's 
phrase,  took  care  to  give  me  a  wide  berth — I  finally 
seated  myself  near  the  players,  and  carefully  scanned 
their  dress  and  equipments — in  which,  for  reasons 
already  stated,  I  found  myself  far  more  deeply  inter 
ested  than  in  the  fluctuations  of  a  game  I  did  not 
understand. 

These  mountaineers,  as  I  will  term  them — for  under 
this  term  are  generally  classed  all  those  who  live  a 
free,  roving  life  beyond  the  settlements,  whether  profes 
sional  hunters,  trappers,  traders,  or  guides — these 
mountaineers,  I  say,  were  four  in  number,  and  were 
all  distinguished  by  that  costume  which  has  become 
a  peculiarity  of  these  wilderness-wanderers,  who 
oftener  see  the  moving  villages  of  the  savages,  than 
the  stationary  villages  of  those  of  their  own  blood  and 
race.  As  many  of  them  are,  in  fact,  only  so  many 
connecting  links  between  the  white  man  and  the  red,  so 
their  dress  partakes  something  of  the  character  of 
both  civilization  and  barbarism ;  and  one  description, 
with  perhaps  a  trifling  variation,  the  result  of  some 
whim  of  the  owner,  will  answer  for  the  whole  class. 


60  THEBOHDEKROVEK. 

A  hunting  sliirt  of  dressed  buckskin,  ornamented 
with  long  fringes,  covers  the  breast  and  arms,  and 
descends  to  about  half  way  between  the  hip  and 
knee.  This  is  left  full  and  loose  about  the  breast  and 
shoulders,  but  tightened  around  the  waist  by  a  strong 
belt,  either  of  the  same  material,  black  leather,  or 
wampum,  as  the  taste  of  the  wearer  may  decide.  This 
belt  generally  supports  a  sheath  of  buffalo  hide,  into 
which  is  thrust  a  large  hunting-knife,  with  the  haft 
most  convenient  to  the  hand ;  and  a  little  buckskin 
case,  containing  a  whetstone,  is  also  considered  an 
indispensable  attachment.  His  powder-horn  and  bullet- 
pouch — in  which  latter  he  carries  his  balls,  flint,  steel, 
et  cetera — are  supported  under  his  right  arm,  by  a 
belt  passing  transversely  across  his  breast  and  back 
and  over  his  left  shoulder ;  and  around  his  neck  is 
suspended  his  pipe-holder,  not  unfrequently  the 
wampum-worked  keepsake  of  some  love-stricken  In 
dian  maid.  His  pantaloons,  also  of  dressed  buckskin, 
are  ornamented,  down  the  outside  of  the  legs,  with 
porcupine  quills  and  long  fringes,  and  a  flexible  felt 
hat  and  moccasins  complete  his  singular  attire.  A 
long,  heavy  rifle  is  his  never-failing  accompaniment ; 
and  sometimes  a  brace  of  pistols  and  a  tomahawk  are 
added  for  defence. 

For  some  half  an  hour,  I  sat  and  watched  the  four 
hardy  and  weather-browned  mountaineers,  as  they 
continued  to  play  at  what  an  old  gentleman,  who  had 
been  fleeced  by  some  gamblers,  once  very  truthfully 
described  to  his  son,  as  "a  most  infernal  game,  in 


THEOLDTKAPPEK.  61 

which  the  jack  takes  the  ace."  It  was  interesting  to 
watch  the  expressions  which  made  joyous  or  doleful 
the  faces  of  the  players,  as  the  game  continually  alter 
nated  in  favor  of  an  opponent;  and  the  eagerness  with 
which  success  was  hailed  by  the  different  parties, 
showed  clearly  that  each  considered  his  reputation  at 
stake  as  well  as  his  money.  They  said  little,  but  they 
looked  volumes. 

Two  of  the  party  were  comparatively  young  men, 
their  ages  ranging  from  twenty-five  to  thirty;  but  the 
other  two  were  verging  upon  fifty,  and  had  evidently 
seen  hard  service  ;  for  their  well-tanned  skins  showed 
more  than  one  broad  scar,  to  which  evidently  be 
longed  a  thrilling  tale  of  desperate  encounter  with 
man  or  beast.  Oh !  how  impatient  was  I  to  get  these 
old  mountaineers  into  conversation!  for  to  my  natural 
desire  for  a  description  of  the  wild  life  beyond  the 
borders,  was  added  a  very  troublesome  curiosity  to 
know  something  of  their  personal  history.  But  as  it 
was  folly  to  expect  them  to  quit  a  game  of  such  ex 
citing  interest,  to  gratify  the  whim  of  a  stranger  they 
had  not  yet  noticed  in  any  way,  and  as  others,  some 
boat  hands  and  some  passengers,  began  to  collect 
around  them,  actuated  by  an  entirely  different 
curiosity  than  mine,  I  concluded  to  withdraw  and 
abide  an  auspicious  opportunity. 

I  therefore  strolled  to  the  forward  deck,  intending 
to  amuse  myself  by  looking  up  the  broad  river ;  but 
what  was  my  surprise  and  delight,  to  find  here  another 
mountaineer,  sitting  cross-legged  upon  the  floor, 


62  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

and  busily  engaged  in  repairing  a  half  worn-out 
moccasin  ! 

Here  was  the  very  opportunity  for  a  private  con 
versation  which  I  had  so  much  desired,  and  it  may 
readily  be  believed  I  lost  no  time  in  addressing  him. 
Gently  dropping  down  by  his  side,  in  a  careless  atti 
tude,  I  said,  in  a  very  bland  tone : 

"  Pardon  me,  sir,  if  I  intrude  upon  you  ;  but  really, 
I  have  a  great  curiosity  concerning  all  that  pertains 
to  one  of  your  profession." 

The  old  trapper,  for  such  he  was — old  at  least  in 
experience,  and  his  age  could  not  have  been  less  than 
fifty — the  old  trapper,  I  say,  raised  his  head  slowly, 
and  presented  to  my  view  a  face,  which,  had  I  never 
seen  it  again,  I  should  never  have  forgotten.  Its 
color  was  a  dark,  dingy  red ;  and  over  the  lower 
part  were  patches  of  coarse,  grizzly  beard,  which 
seemed  to  be  making  desperate  efforts  to  keep  neigh 
borly,  and  overshadow  several  very  frightful-looking 
scars.  One  corner  of  his  mouth  was  drawn  down  in 
a  very  comical  way  ;  and  two  round  white  spots,  one 
on  either  cheek,  showed  where  a  bullet  had  passed 
through,  performing  a  very  sudden,  but  none  the  less 
disagreeable,  dental  operation.  The  tip  of  his  nose 
had  been  chipped  off,  one  eye  gouged  out,  and  a  long 
scar,  across  the  base  of  the  forehead,  made  a  very 
ugly  substitute  for  eyebrows.  His  one  eye  was  small, 
shrewd,  black  and  keen  ;  and  this  took  a  very  careful 
survey  of  my  features  and  person,  before  its  owner 
deigned  to  honor  me  with  a  reply.  Meantime,  I 


THE     OLDTRAPPEE.  63 

glanced  from  his  face  to  his  hands,  which  were  dingy, 
rough  and  scarred — and  I  further  noticed  that  he  was 
lank,  bony,  and  muscular — being  altogether,  as  I 
thought,  a  pretty  hard  specimen  of  an  Indian  fighter, 
but  certainly  no  Apollo. 

"  Stranger,"  he  said  at  length,  in  a  very  queer  tone 
— for  the  accidents  of  his  life  had  evidently  injured  his 
voice,  which  seemed  to  be  pitched  upon  a  key  between 
a  squeal  and  a  grunt — "  Stranger,  whar  do  you  hail  ?" 

"  You  wish  to  know  my  native  place  ?"  I  said,  in 
quiringly. 

"  Eayther." 

11 1  was  born  in  Philadelphia." 

He  gave -a  grunt  and  resumed  his  work. 

u  I  see  you  are  repairing  your  moccasins,  probably 
for  another  long  journey  into  the  wilderness  ?"  I 
resumed,  determined  to  draw  him  into  conversation. 

This  time  he  did  not  even  grunt,  but  continued  his 
work,  without  taking  any  further  notice  of  me.  "Well, 
thought  I,  this  is  a  very  interesting  beginning,  and  if 
I  keep  on,  I  shall  perhaps  be  as  wise  as  when  I  left 
home.  I  felt  a  little  nettled,  and  made  my  next 
remark  rather  pointed. 

"  Is  it  a  fact,  that  a  life  in  the  wilderness  transforms 
a  gentleman  into  a  boor  ?"  I  inquired. 

His  one  eye  slowly  left  his  work,  and,  beginning  at 
my  feet,  continued  its  survey  upward,  till  it  reached 
my  face,  where  it  seemed  to  fasten,  while  the  lips 
articulated : 

"  Stranger,  what's  the  sign?" 


C4  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

u  I  don't  understand  you,"  I  replied. 

"  A  draw-game,  then,  by !"  he  rejoined,  again 

resuming  his  occupation. 

Determined  not  to  be  baffled  in  this  way,  I  said, 
rather  sharply : 

"  Will  you,  or  will  you  not,  answer  a  few  civil 
questions  ?" 

"  What  for?" 

"  For  my  gratification." 

"Your  what?" 

"  For  my  gratification.  I  have  a  strong  desire  to 
hear  something  about  the  wilderness,  from  one  who, 
like  yourself,  has  evidently  spent  much  of  his  life  there." 

"  Kin  you  wet?"  he  inquired,  with  a  sly  look  from 
his  one  eye. 

"  Can  I  wet." 

"  Expect." 

"  Please  explain  your  singular  expression." 

"  A  dry  mouth  wets.     Augh  I" 

"  Oh,  you  wish  me  to  stand  treat  ?" 

"  Eayther." 

"  By  all  means  ;  what  will  you  drink  ?" 

"Half  a  pint." 

"Of  what?" 

"  Ked-eye." 

"  What  is  that  ?" 

«  Whiskey." 

"  Certainly,"  said  I ;  and  hurrying  to  the  bar  in 
the  saloon,  I  procured  a  tumbler  full  of  his  favorite 
beverage,  and  returned  to  my  eccentric  friend. 


THE     OLD'TRAPPER.  65 

His  eye  glistened  as  he  received  it ;  and  putting 
the  glass  to  his  lips,  one  half  of  the  contents  suddenly 
disappeared.  With  a  satisfied  grunt,  he  placed  the 
tumbler  on  the  deck ;  and  then  turning  to  me,  with  a 
half-sympathetic,  half-quizzical  expression,  he  said : 

"Stranger,  you're  decent,  but  powerful  green." 

I  hardly  knew  whether  to  get  angry  or  not ;  but 
finally  forced  out  a  laugh,  though  I  did  not  see  the * 
joke. 

"  I  trust,  with  the  aid  of  the  liquor,"  I  said,  "  you 
will  be  able  to  overlook  my  imperfections." 

"  Eight,  thar,  stranger — your  decency  shall  kiver 
your  greenness  to  old  One-Eyed.  Blaze  away  !" 

"  To  begin,  then,  what  is  your  profession  ?" 

"  What  this  hyer  old  nigger  does  to  fill  his  meat- 
trap,  d'ye  mean  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  I  cotch  beaver,  and  raise  ha'r." 

"  What  kind  of  hair— beaver's  ?" 

"No,  Injin's.  You'll  spile,  stranger,  you  will — 
chaw  me." 

"Never  mind  me,"  I  said,  rather  testily;  "I  may 
be  green  in  your  eye,  but  I  flatter  myself  I  am  not  a 
fool  for  all  that." 

"  Some'at  to  punks  in  your  natyve  village,  hey  ?" 
he  replied,  with  a  quizzical  grin. 

"  /think  so,  at  all  events." 

"  Expect." 

"  Can  you  not  tell  me  something  about  the  prairies 
— their  grandeur  and  beauty?"  I  continued. 
3 


66  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  I  goes  under  thar,  stranger — haint  the  needful.  I 
kin  throw  a  red-nigger,  or  a  bull  buffler,  at  long 
range,  and  set  a  beaver  trap  to  the  next ;  but  hyer's  a 
coon  as  al'ays  gins  in  when  it  kirns  to  the  fancy 
Augh  1" 

"That  is  your  green  spot  then,"  I  said,  mischie 
vously. 

"  Wall,  it  mought  be,"  he  replied,  with  a  good- 
natured  laugh,  taking  up  the  tumbler;  "but  this 
hyer  old  one-eyed  nigger  won't  spile — nary  once — 
chaw  me  1" 

"  Not  if  whiskey  can  save  you,"  I  rejoined,  as  he  set 
down  an  empty  glass.  "  I  must  tell  you,"  I  proceeded, 
'•I  have  for  years  felt  a  strong  desire  to  visit  the 
great  wilderness  of  the  West ;  and  everything  that 
pertains  to  that  vast  region  has  for  me  a  romantic 
fascination." 

"  Stranger,  you're  right  thar,"  returned  the  old 
trapper,  with  something  like  enthusiasm.  "  You're 
right  thar,  younker,  and  old  One-Eyed  Sam'll  gamble 
on  to  that.  The  perrairie  and  mountains  is  the  only 
spots  whar  a  feller  kin  git  fresh  air ;  and  him  as  haint 
lived  thar,  haint  lived  no  whar — but  has  jest  smoked 
it  out  in  the  settlements.  Augh !  how  I  hate  them 
brick  and  mortar  fixings — cramping  a  feller  up  so's 
he  has  to  grow  crooked,  and  can't  lay  straight  to 
nights.  Stranger,  I  never  seed  St.  Louey,  that  I 
didn't  wonder  how  sich  a  heap  of  infernal  scamps  and 
fools  got  planted  together  fur  a  choke.  Augh  !" 


THE     OLD    TRAPPER.  67 

"  And  yet  St.  Louis  is  a  small  city,  compared  with 
Philadelphia,"  said  I. 

"  "Tis,  hey  ?"  he  replied,  looking  wistfully  at  the 
empty  tumbler.  "  Wall,  stranger,  I'd  jest  like  to  wet 
agin  on  to  your  good  sense  in  putting  out." 

"  Oh,  by  all  means !"  returned  I,  laughing ;  asid  I 
hastened  to  procure  another  half  pint. 

"  Younker,"  he  said,  as  he  again  received  the  full 
tumbler  from  my  hands,  "if  it  wasn't  fur  this  hyer, 
old  One-Eyed  Sam  'ud  spile  every  time  he  seed  them 

thar brick  cabins,  sure ;"  and  down  went  the  first 

half  of  the  fiery  and  exhilarating  contents.  "Aughl" 
he  pursued,  smacking  his  lips  ;  "  that  thar's  the  stuff; 
and  a  few  stiffs  to  them  al'ays  fetches  old  Sam  on  to 
his  pegs.  So  Phila-what-d'ye-call-it,  beats  St.  Louey, 
hey?" 

"  As  six  to  one." 

"  That's  all  right,  expect — but  hyer's  a  beaver  as 
don't  see  the  sign — nary  once.  Augh  I" 

"  Well,  then,  to  give  you  an  illustration  that  you 
will  understand,"  I  rejoined,  "Philadelphia  is  as 
much  superior  to  St.  Louis,  in  point  of  size,  as  six 
half  pints  of  whiskey  are  to  one." 

The  old  trapper  eyed  me  sharply  for  a  while,  as  if 
he  thought  I  might  be  playing  upon  his  credulity ; 
and  then,  apparently  satisfied  of  my  sincerity,  he 
scratched  his  head  and  looked  puzzled.  At  length  he 
rejoined : 

"  Wall,  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar,  ef  I  kin  see  how  you 
all  draw  breath  thar,  and  git  your  feed.  Now  to  this 


68  THE    BORDER    ROVE  K. 

hyer  old  boss,  what's  used  to  stretching  my  legs  and 
swinging  my  arms,  without  kicking  and  hitting  no 
body,  this  hyer  country  feels  orful  close — some'at  to 
a  b'ar-hug;  but  penned  up  whar  you  tell  me  about, 
I'd  strangulate ;  ef  I  wouldn't,  why  war  cubs  made  ?" 

"  I  suppose  you  are  now  on  your  way  to  the  wilder 
ness  ?"  I  said,  inquiringly. 

"  You  kin  gamble  on  to  that  thar." 

"Are  you  in  company  with  the  party  playing  cards 
yonder  ?" 

"Nary  once.  I've  got  a  pardner  though,  but  old 
Brimstone  hisself  couldn't  fotch  him  nigh  a  city.  He 
thinks  he's  gwine  to  spile  whensomevcr  he  gits  to 
Independence;  and  ef  thar's  business  to  St.  Louey, 
I've  got  to  do  the  tramp  alone.  Augh  1" 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  the  beaver  trade  ?" 

"  Six  foot  one." 
.    "  No,  I  mean  how  many  years  ?" 

"  Wall,  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar,  ef  I  don't  expect  I 
went  in  the  next  day  arter  I  was  born — leastways,  ef 
I  didn't,  I  mought  hev  did  it,  fur  anything  I  kin  re 
member  about  it  now." 

"  I  see,  by  your  scars,  you  have  been  through  some 
perilous  scenes." 

"Why,  yes,  stranger,  I've  fit  in,  and  fit  out,  a  few, 
you  kin  gamble  on  to  that ;  but  I  tell  you  what  it  is, 

no red  nigger  ever  raised  my  h'ar — though  I've 

took  top -knots  enough  to  make  a  lariat  on — I  hev — 
chaw  me !" 


THE     OLDTKAPPEB.  69 

<{  I  should  be  delighted  to  hear  you  describe  one  of 
your  fights  with  the  Indians — Will  you  gratify  me?" 
"  Whar  you  bound?" 

"  Just  making  a  trip  to  Fort  Leavenworth." 
"  Ef  you  has  sich  a  like  for  the  perraries,  why  don't 
you  jest  sun  yourself  out  thar  ?" 

"  I  should  like  to  do  so,  but  my  father  would  not 
give  his  consent." 

One-Eyed  Sam  gave  a  contemptuous  grunt,  and  re 
joined  : 

"  At  your  time  I  hadn't  no  master.     Augh  1" 
"  My  father  is  not  my  master,"  I  replied,  quickly, 
feeling  a  good  deal  nettled ;  "  but  I  respect  and  love 
him,  and  therefore  would  do  nothing  to  displease  him, 
or  cause  him  sorrow." 

"Every  body  to  thar  likes,  but  the  wilderness  for 
this  hyer  nigger  I"  responded  my  new  acquaintance. 
"  And  for  me,  too,  could  I  have  my  wish,"  said  I. 
"  How  old,  younker  ?" 
"Almost  twenty-one." 
"Fust  time  out  hyer?" 
"  Yes." 

"And  never  seed  a  perrarie?" 
"Never." 

"  Never  'mongst  bufflers  ?" 
"Never." 

"  Never  raised  h'ar  ?" 
"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?" 
"Scalped  a Injin." 
"  Never." 


70  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Then,  stranger,  you  hain't  lived,  and  you  is  only 
fit  for  wolf-meat.  Augh  1" 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  I  felt  lowered  in  my  own 
estimation  by  this  reply  of  the  old  trapper ;  for  I  saw 
that,  from  his  point  of  observation  and  calculation,  I 
was  a  mere  cipher  in  existence.  His  world  was  the 
wilderness,  beyond  which  there  was  nothing  worth 
living  for ;  and  however  much  superior  I  might  be  to 
him  in  my  own  peculiar  sphere,  yet  in  all  that  per 
tained  to  his,  I  was  forced  to  acknowledge  my 
inferiority,  and  I  did  it  with  a  conscious  blush  of 
shame.  At  home  I  should  have  looked  upon  him  as 
a  human  curiosity — rough,  low-bred,  and  vulgar,  in 
whom  the  animal  greatly  predominated  over  the 
intellectual — and,  as  such,  scarcely  worth  more  regard 
than  a  half-civilized  Indian — between  whom,  and  one 
of  my  education,  there  could  be  no  comparison  that 
would  do  him  credit ;  but  here,  bordering  on  a  country 
where  the  animal  and  its  instincts,  united  with  phys 
ical  force,  held  a  supremacy  over  inexperience  of 
peril  and  the  knowledge  gained  from  books,  I  was 
humiliated  at  the  reflection  that  there  was  not  a  single 
event  in  my  even,  monotonous,  city  life,  the  relation 
of  which  would  excite  his  admiration ;  while  he,  on 
the  contrary,  as  proclaimed  by  his  disfiguring  scars, 
was  the  envied  hero  of  perhaps  a  hundred  bold 
encounters,  whose  simple  narration  would  cause  my 
hair  to  rise,  and  the  blood  to  leap  through  my  veins 
with  a  wild  thrill. 

He  noticed  my  confusion,  and  saw  that  I  felt  the 


THE     OLD     TKAPPEE.  71 

sting  of  his  remark ;  and  with  a  delicacy  for  which  I 
had  not  given  him  credit,  he  promptly  added : 

"  But  I  sees  you've  got  grit  and  speret,  boy ;  and 
ef  I  only  had  you  out  with  me  for  one  tramp,  I  could 
larn  ye  some'at,  and  make  ye  useful." 

"And  how  far  are  you  going?"  I  eagerly  inquired, 
feeling  strongly  tempted  to  break  my  last  resolution, 
and  not  return  till  I  could  speak  from  experience  of 
life  in  the  Far  West. 

"Jest  over  a  piece  fur  now." 

"And  when  do  you  expect  to  return?" 

"  Thar  I  goes  under.  Dont  like  this  hyer  country, 
no  how.  Augh  I" 

"  Are  you  going  alone  ?" 

"  Me  and  Jake  Stericks  is  all — him  as  is  to  In 
dependence — my  pardner." 

"Would  you  take  me  along?" 

"  Jest  to  keep  you  from  spy  ling." 

"  But  could  I  get  back  by  fall  ?" 

"  Expect." 

"I  could  join  some  party  on  their  return?" 

"  Expect." 

"  Will  you  pass  any  of  the  forts  ?" 

"  Bent's." 

"  I  am  tempted  to  accompany  you  as  far  as  there, 
at  all  events,"  said  I. 

"  Green,  but  kin  be  seasoned  I "  was  the  sententious 
rejoinder  of  One-Eyed-Sam,  as  he  raised  the  tumbler, 
with  a  nod  and  a  leer,  and  sent  the  remainder  of  the 
pint  past  the  bullet  marks. 


72  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A   NEW  FRIEND. 

IT  is  fair  to  conclude,  from  my  own  experience  in 
observing  the  different  grades  of  the  genus  homo,  that 
one  pint  of  whiskey  in  a  human  being  will  either 
make  him  very  loquacious,  or  seal  up  his  organs  of 
speech.  Much  to  my  chagrin,  the  effect  of  my  libe 
rality  on  One-Eyed  Sam  was  of  the  latter  kind ;  for 
from  the  moment  the  last  drop  disappeared,  he  became 
very  stupid,  and  I  could  get  no  further  rational 
answers  to  my  questions.  But  he  had  started  an  idea 
in  keeping  with  my  desire,  which  I  felt  there  could 
be  no  harm  in  giving  serious  consideration ;  and  so  I 
left  him,  and  repaired  to  my  state-room,  where,  stretch 
ing  myself  in  my  berth,  I  held  quite  an  argument  with 
myself,  concerning  the  propriety  of  extending  my 
travels  beyond  the  limits  I  had  laid  down  in  my  mind 
at  the  time  of  taking  passage  on  board  the  boat  which 
was  now  bearing  me  further  from  home.  The  first 
thing  I  considered  was,  the  anxiety  with  which  my 
father  would  look  for  my  return,  and  the  disappoint 
ment  he  would  experience  in  not  having  me  present 
at  the  time  he  had  appointed  for  his  emancipation 
from  the  cares  of  a  long  mercantile  life ;  and  secondly, 
how  I  could  avoid  being  present  on  my  birth-day, 
and  not  have  a  too  serious  account  to  settle  with  my 


A    NEW    FRIEND.  73 

conscience.  I  could  write  to  him  and  say,  that  my 
health  not  being  perfectly  restored — which  was  true 
— I  had  thought  it  best,  all  things  considered,  to  take 
a  trip  across  the  prairies,  intending  to  be  absent  only 
the  summer  season,  and  reach  home  early  in  the  fall ; 
and  having  got  my  conscience  to  side  with  me  in  this 
arrangement,  I  leaped  from  my  berth,  and  hastened 
to  execute  the  letter- writing  portion  of  my  new-formed 
design. 

I  dated  my  letter  on  board  the  steamer  Missouri ; 
and,  after  entering  into  a  good  deal  of  round-about 
detail,  came  to  the  important  point,  and  supported  it 
with  so  much  logical  force,  that  I  was  quite  surprised 
myself,  on  reading  it  over,  to  perceive  how  strong  a 
case  I  had  made  out  in  my  own  favor,  and  how  dis- 
creetively  and  reasonably  I  had  met  all  objections 
which  might,  could,  would,  or  should  be  raised 
against  my  doing  exactly  as  I  desired.  Having 
finished,  read,  and  superscribed  the  epistle,  I  held 
another  very  anxious  debate  with  myself  as  to  whether 
I  should  send  it  or  not.  I  could  step  on  shore,  at 
some  of  the  villages  on  the  route,  and  put  it  in  the 
post ;  but  as  I  already  began  to  suspect  myself  of 
being  rather  fickle-minded,  I  thought  it  advisible  to 
keep  it  in  my  possession  till  such  time  as  I  should 
arrive  at  a  positive  decision. 

It  will  thus  be  seen,  that,  having  surmounted  the 
one  great  obstacle  to  the  gratification  of  my  desire, 
conscientious  scruples,  I  had  rather  a  down-hill  path 
to  travel ;  and  once  started,  I  moved  over  the  ground 


74  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

with  accelerated  motion.  I  was  not  wanting  in  means, 
for  I  had  reserved  from  my  collections  in  St.  Louis 
sufficient  to  meet  all  contingencies ;  and  a  little  per 
suasion,  which  I  soon  received  from  an  unexpected 
source,  settled  the  matter,  and  entirely  changed  the 
career  which  my  father,  if  not  Providence,  had  marked 
out  for  me. 

The  state-rooms,  so  termed,  of  the  Western  steamers, 
are  small  apartments,  entered  from  a  long,  general  hall, 
or  saloon,  and  contain  two  berths ;  so  that,  when  the 
boat  is  full,  each  traveller  has  one  room-mate  at  least 
— who  may  be  a  personal  friend  or  acquaintance — or, 
if  travelling  without  company,  an  entire  stranger.  As 
I  was  travelling  alone,  the  individual  allotted  an  equal 
right  and  share  in  my  sleeping  apartment,  was  a  per 
son  I  had  not  seen  at  the  time  of  writing  the  letter  to 
my  father ;  but  on  entering  my  state-room  an  hour 
subsequent  to  that  important  event,  I  found  a  pale, 
delicate-looking  young  man  seated  on  the  lower  berth, 
with  a  recently  published  map  of  the  territories  spread 
out  across  his  knees,  and  over  which  his  dark,  bright 
eye  was  languidly  wandering.  On  perceiving  me,  he 
slowly  raised  his  head,  made  a  slight  salutation,  and 
commenced  refolding  the  map. 

"Pardon  me,"  said  I ;  "but  as  I  am  about  half- re 
solved  to  travel  over  a  portion  of  the  country  which 
you  have  mapped  out  before  you,  I  should  like  to 
glance  at  the  land-marks  there  laid  down." 

"It  is  very  imperfect,  sir,  I  am  told,"  he  replied,  as 
he  handed  me  the  map ;  "  but  it  is  the  best  I  could 


A    NEW    FRIEND.  75 

procure.     To  what  part  of  the  territories,  if  I  may 
make  so  bold,  are  you  bound  ?" 

"I  have  not  positively  decided  on  going  beyond 
the  settlements,"  I  answered ;  "  but  I  have  a  strong 
inclination  to  venture  across  the  prairies  to  Bent's 
Fort,  merely  for  change  of  scene,  and  to  gratify  my 
curiosity  concerning  a  part  of  the  world  which  has 
long  held  a  prominent  place  in  the  picture  gallery  of 
my  mind." 

"Have  you  selected  your  companions  for  the  jour 
ney  ?"  he  inquired,  with  some  interest. 

"No !  on  the  contrary,  as  I  said  before,  I  am  still 
hesitating  about  the  propriety  of  going  myself." 

"I  hope  you  will  decide  on  going,  and  that  you  will 
allow  me  to  accompany  you,"  said  the  young  man 
earnestly,  a  faint  flush  tinging  his  wan  cheek. 

"  It  is  your  intention,  then,  to  cross  the  plains  to 
Bent's  Fort  ?"  I  inquired,  with  increased  interest  in 
my  room-mate. 

"  It  is  my  intention  to  spend  one  season  among  the 
mountains,  if  God  sees  fit  to  preserve  me  that  long," 
was  the  solemn  reply ;  and,  as  he  spoke,  he  coughed 
two  or  three  times,  in  that  short,  dry,  hacking  manner 
peculiar  to  persons  afflicted  with  pulmonary  disease. 

"  You  are  in  bad  health,  I  perceive." 

"  Yes,"  he  sighed ;  "  and  I  have  set  out  on  a 
perilous  journey,  for  the  purpose  of  prolonging  my 
life.  I  have  been  told  that  consumptive  patients,  after 
having  been  given  over  by  physicians  as  incurable, 
have  been  restored  to  health  by  a  year's  sojourn  iu 


76  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

the  pure,  bracing  airs  of  the  Rocky  Mountains :  I  am 
about  to  make  the  trial — but  what  the  result  will  be 
God  only  knows !  I  trust  it  will  be  favorable — for 
much  do  I  now  desire  to  live ;  but  if  otherwise,  I  must 
say,  'God's  will  be  done!'  even  though  my  bones 
bleach  in  the  wilderness,  afar  from  the  quiet  church 
yard  where  they  should  repose." 

"  And  have  you  actually  set  out  alone  on  this  long 
journey?"  I  inquired. 

"  Yes,  I  am  alone  ;  and  that  is  why  I  so  earnestly 
desire  the  company  of  one  in  whom  I  can  confide. 
You,  sir,  are  a  stranger  to  me;  and  yet  I  seem  to 
know  you  as  one  who  has  a  noble  and  sympathetic 
heart — as  one  whose  spirit  answers  to  the  yearnings 
of  mine  for  a  true  companion.  This  suddenly  formed 
opinion  may  seem  strange  to  you ;  and  I  am  unable 
to  give  a  satisfactory  reason  for  it  myself — for  my 
natural  disposition  is  to  be  reserved,  except  toward 
those  I  have  tried  and  most  highly  esteem.  I  see  I  have 
excited  your  curiosity  to  know  something  more  of 
one,  in  whom,  as  every  expression  of  your  countenance 
betrays,  you  already  take  more  than  a  passing  interest. 
Sit  down — I  will  tell  you  in  brief  something  of  my 
history — for  I  feel  it  is  important  that  we  know  more 
of  each  other. 

"  My  name  is  Alfred  Yarney.  I  am  twenty -four 
years  of  age,  and  was  born  in  a  midland  county  of 
the  State  of  Tennessee.  My  father  was  a  planter  of 
some  note — for  several  years  a  member  of  the  Legis 
lature — but  died  when  I  was  quite  young.  An  expen- 


A    NEW    FRIEND.  77 

sive  lawsuit,  the  particulars  of  which  I  need  not 
relate,  subsequently  absorbed  all  the  property  he  left 
behind  him  ;  and  my  mother  and  myself,  her  only 
child,  would  have  been  left  in  destitute  circumstances, 
had  not  a  wealthy  relative  generously  stepped  for 
ward,  and,  partly  by  persuasion  and  partly  by  force, 
put  her  again  in  possession  of  a.  competency.  I  was 
sent  to  college,  and  graduated,  in  my  twenty-first 
year,  full  of  honors  ;  but  it  may  be  those  honors  will 
cost  me  my  life  ;  for  hard  study  seems  to  have  planted 
the  seeds  of  disease  in  a  constitution  never  remark 
ably  strong. 

"  My  collegiate  course  finished,  I  went  to  reside 
with  my  mother,  and  remained  with  her  till  her 
death,  which  took  place  something  more  than  a  year 
ago.  Grief  for  her  loss  prostrated  me  for  several 
months ;  and  when  at  last  I  began  to  recover  from 
the  first  heart-rending  pang,  I  found  myself  attacked 
with  a  cough,  which  my  family  physician  informed 
me  proceeded  from  a  serious  affection  of  the  lungs. 
He  ordered  me  to  travel,  and  I  was  nothing  loath  to 
take  his  advice — for  there  was  no  longer  any  tie  to 
bind  me  to  the  place  of  my  nativity,  and  T  felt  the 
need  of  change  of  scene  to  relieve  the  mind  if  not  the 
body.  I  repaired  to  New  Orleans,  and  thence  set  sail 
for  Havana,  where  I  spent  the  winter.  But  I  grew 
worse  instead  of  better ;  and  believing  my  time  of 
departure  from  this  world  to  be  near  at  hand,  I 
decided  upon  returning  to  the  land  of  my  birth,  that 
my  bones  might  rest  in  the  quiet  churchyard,  beside 


78  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

those   of   my   honored    father  and    dearly  beloved 
mother. 

"  On  leaving  Havana,  I  had  no  desire  but  to  reach 
home  and  die.  The  world  looked  gloomy  to  me — I 
had  firm  faith  in  a  better  beyond — and  my  soul  yearned 
for  that  eternal  reunion  with  those  I  loved,  for  which 
all  good  Christians  hope  and  pray.  How  trivial  an 
incident — trivial  perhaps  to  all  save  those  whom  it 
affects  as  a  Providence,  or  a  destiny — may  change  the 
whole  current  of  our  feelings,  causing  the  hopes  and 
desires  that  were  setting  strongly  onward  toward  eter 
nity,  to  flow  backward  upon  time,  like  the  waters  of 
a  rushing  stream  when  suddenly  obstructed.  On  the 
passage  to  New  Orleans,  I  one  day  chanced  to  per 
ceive  a  very  beautiful  young  lady,  standing  on  the 
poop,  near  the  taffrail,  with  a  glass  in  her  hand,  through 
which  she  appeared  to  be  scanning  some  distant 
object.  There  was  a  heavy  sea,  and  the  vessel  was 
rolling  and  pitching  in  a  manner  that  should  have 
warned  her  that  her  position  was  one  of  peril.  Yet, 
careless  of  her  footing,  she  stood,  absorbed  in  her 
view,  heedless  of  danger.  Life,  though  of  little 
account  to  me,  was  doubtless  of  much  to  her;  and 
impulsively  I  moved  toward  her,  for  the  purpose  of 
giving  her  a  timely  caution.  I  had  scarcely  taken 
three  steps,  when  a  sudden  lurch  of  the  vessel  pros 
trated  me,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  shriek  of  despair 
pierced  my  very  soul.  I  looked  up,  and  to  my  horror 
perceived  that  the  young  lady  had  disappeared.  I 
was  a  good  swimmer,  my  life  I  did  not  value,  and  I 


A    NEW    FRIEND.  79 

hastened  to  her  assistance.  The  cry  of  '  A  lady  over 
board  1'  had  scarcely  resounded,  when  I  leaped  over 
the  taffrail  into  the  crested  waves,  and  reached  the 
object  of  my  solicitude  just  as  she  was  disappearing. 
It  was  a  hard  struggle  to  keep  her  and  myself  above 
water  till  a  boat  came  to  our  assistance — but  I  suc 
ceeded  in  my  effort,  and  she  was  saved. 

"  She  proved  to  be  the  daughter,  and  only  surviv 
ing  child,  of  an  immensely  wealthy  Louisiana  sugar- 
planter  ;  and  when  she  was  placed  in  the  arms  of  her 
nearly  distracted  father,  I  thought  he  would  go  mad 
with  joy.  His  gratitude  for  the  service  I  had  ren 
dered  knew  no  bounds.  He  hugged  me  in  his  arms 
till  I  gasped  for  breath,  shook  my  hands  till  I  feared 
he  would  dislocate  the  bones,  and  then  informed  me 
that  an  ample  fortune  was  at  my  disposal.  I  replied 
that  I  was  already  more  than  repaid  for  the  little  I 
had  done,  and  that,  having  means  wherewith  to  live 
comfortably  the  brief  period  allotted  me,  a  fortune 
could  add  nothing  to  my  happiness.  The  state  of  my 
health  excited  his  deepest  sympathy  ;  and  after  some 
inquiries  into  my  history,  he  said  I  must  go  home 
with  him,  and  he  would  consult  some  of  the  best 
physicians  in  the  country  in  regard  to  my  case.  I 
would  have  declined  his  invitation,  but  he  would  take 
no  refusal ;  and  so  I  consented,  on  condition  that,  if  I 
died  on  his  premises,  he  would  have  my  remains 
interred  beside  those  of  my  ancestors. 

"  The  day  following,  I  was  introduced  to  his 
daughter  as  the  preserver  of  her  life.  She  took  my 


80  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

hand,  and  in  a  tremulous  voice,  with  tearful  eyes, 
thanked  me  from  her  heart;  and  added,  looking 
upward,  with  the  rapt,  holy  and  touching  expression 
of  the  Madonna : 

" '  May  God  reward  you,  when  you  stand  in  His 
glorious  presence !' 

"  As  this  holy  invocation  passed  her  lips,  I  felt  a 
strange  thrill  pervade  my  whole  being — a  sensation  as 
of  something  unearthly  communing  with  my  spirit, 
and  saying : 

"'Live,  Alfred,  for  her — for  she  was  born  for 
thee  I' 

"  This  might  have  been  fancy,  a  freak  of  the  senses, 
and  it  might  have  been  something  more — I  do  not 
know.  I  was  excited,  but  weak  in  body ;  and  how 
much  involuntary  power  the  mind  in  such  a  case  may 
possess,  it  is  not  for  me  to  say.  It  came  as  a  reality, 
palpable  to  the  senses,  was  felt  through  the  innermost 
recesses  of  my  soul,  and  left  on  me  an  impression  of 
something  superhuman.  I  am  not  naturally  super 
stitious  ;  but  I  believe  the  spirit  exists  after  the  death 
of  the  body  ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  it  may, 
through  some  law  not  generally  understood,  make 
itself  manifest  to  the  spirit  still  in  its  earthly  taber 
nacle.  That  it  has  done  so,  we  have  the  solemn  affir 
mation  of  the  righteous  ones  of  old,  and  the  testimony 
of  thousands  who  have  lived  since.  But  I  am  weary 
ing  you,  and  I  promised  to  be  brief." 

"  No  !  no!  go  on — I  am  deeply  interested,"  said  I. 

"  I  wish,"  continued  Yarney,  "  I  could  picture  to 


A    NEW    FRIEND.  81 

you  the  appearance  of  the  beautiful  being  who  stood 
before  me,  as  she  thus  invoked  my  eternal  happiness  ! 
But  I  cannot.  Words  are  inadequate  to  the  portrayal, 
and  I  am  wanting  in  that  power  of  words  which  limns 
to  the  imagination  as  the  artist  to  the  sight.  Call  up 
your  ideal  of  something  holy  and  beautiful,  transfused 
with  inspired  devotion,  and  let  that  suffice.  From 
that  moment  I  date  my  acquaintance  with  the  lovely 
being  I  had  saved  from  a  watery  grave ;  from  that 
moment  I  date  a  friendship  eternal  through  its  purity ; 
from  that  moment  I  date  the  knowledge  of  a  love 
which  sees  a  universe  of  happiness  with  the  object 
which  inspired  it,  and  which,  from  its  very  nature, 
must  be  as  undying  and  enduring  as  the  Great  Source 
of  all  good.  From  that  moment  I  no  longer  desired 
death ;  but  ever  since  a  silent  and  incessant  prayer 
has  gone  up  for  life — for  life  in  the  mortal  state — for 
life  in  a  world  I  was  longing  to  bid  farewell. 

"  Let  me  hasten  to  a  conclusion.  I  have  not  spoken 
so  much  for  days,  and  already  I  feel  the  debilitating 
effects  of  over-exertion.  The  gnawing  of  the  worm  at 
the  seat  of  life  warns  me  to  cease — for  every  word 
seems  to  feed  the  foe  I  dread.  I  accompanied  General 
Edwards  and  his  lovely  daughter  to  their  splendid 
home,  and  remained  their  guest  for  several  weeks. 
Everything  was  done  for  me  that  humanity  could 
suggest;  and  though  at  first  my  health  seemed  to 
improve,  I  soon  discovered  it  was  only  one  of  the 
illusions  of  a  disease  that  flatters  with  hope  while  grim 
death  stands  by  and  strengthens  his  relentless  grasp. 
4 


82  THE    BORDER    HOVE  P.. 

A  slight  cold  at  length  prostrated  me,  and  my  attend 
ing  physician  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  I  could  not 
long  survive  in  a  southern  latitude. 

1  "Is  there  no  hope  for  me,  Doctor?'  I  one  day 
inquired,  in  a  despairing  tone — for  while  the  lovely 
Mary  Edwards  lived,  the  very  thought  of  death  made 
me  shudder. 

"'  There  is  a  last  resort,'  he  answered,  l  which  I 
have  heard  of  as  being  efficacious  in  cases  similar  to 
yours ;  but  I  only  speak  from  hearsay,  and  must  admit 
that  I  think  the  remedy  as  fearful  as  the  disease.' 

" '  Name  it,  Doctor  ?'  said  I,  eagerly. 

"  *  A  year's  residence  among  the  Kooky  Mountains.' 

"A  ray  of  hope  broke  in  upon  me,  and  my  reso 
lution  was  instantly  taken. 

"  '  I  will  make  the  trial,'  was  my  reply ;  *  for  it  can 
be  but  death  at  last.' 

"  I  mentioned  my  design  of  speedily  setting  out  for 
the  Far  "West,  to  General  Edwards,  and  he  tried  to 
dissuade  me  from  making  the  rash  attempt. 

"  'You  may  die  on  the  journey,'  he  said,  with  feel 
ing,  'and  have  not  a  single  friend  by  to  speak  a 
consoling  word.' 

" l  Then  know,'  I  rejoined,  (my  last  prayer  shall  be 
for  you  and  yours,  and  that  shall  be  my  consolation 
on  the  verge  of  eternity.' 

"In  a  few  days  I  bade  my  new  friends  a  solemn 
adieu,  as  one  who  might  never  look  upon  them  again 
in  mortal  life.  Mary  wept  freely,  her  father  was 
deeply  affected,  and  I  tore  myself  away  with  an  aching 


A    NEW    FRIEND.  83 

heart.  The  general  sent  me  in  his  carriage  to  the 
river  landing,  some  ten  miles  distant  from  his  plan 
tation;  but  ere  I  reached  my  first  destination,  a 
mounted  negro  overtook  me,  and  placed  in  my  hands 
a  sealed  note.  I  knew  the  writing,  and  eagerly  tore 
it  open.  It  read : 

"  'I  shall  never  cease  to  remember  and  pray  for  the 
preserver  of  my  life.  God  bless,  preserve  and  restore 
you.  Shall  I  ever  hear  from  you  again  ? 

<MARY.' 

"  There  was  the  trace  of  a  single  tear  on  the  page, 
and  I  felt  that  every  word  came  from  her  gentle 
heart." 

Here  the  narrator  paused,  apparently  exhausted  by 
his  effort  in  speaking,  and  evercome  by  mingled 
emotions  of  pleasure  and  pain.  Eecovering  himself, 
he  added,  in  a  feeble  tone : 

"  My  story  is  ended.  You  see  me  thus  far  on  a 
journey  that  may  be  my  last.  Why  have  I  made  you, 
a  stranger,  my  confidant?  I  have  spoken  from  an 
impulse  almost  foreign  to  my  nature,  and  I  am  sur 
prised  at  myself." 

"  Your  confidence,  Mr.  Yarney,  has  made  me  your 
friend,"  said  I,  taking  his  thin,  transparent  hand  in 
mine,  and  giving  it  a  gentle  pressure.  "  You  shall 
now  hear  my  story,  and  then  I  will  take  counsel  of 
you  as  to  whether  I  shall  return  to  my  native  city,  or 
extend  my  journey,  as  your  companion,  to  the  rocky 
steeps  of  the  great  wilderness." 

In  as  few  words  as  I  could,  I  now  made  him  ac- 


84:  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

quainted  with  my  early  history,  the  hopes  and 
expectations  of  my  father,  my  own  desires,  how  I  came 
to  leave  home,  my  subsequent  anxieties — in  short,  all 
I  have  laid  before  the  reader. 

"  And  now,"  I  said,  in  conclusion,  "  what  do  you 
advise  me  to  do?" 

"My  friend,"  he  said,  "as  much  as  I  desire  your 
companionship,  I  would  not  advise  you  to  do  what 
you  think  is  wrong.  If  you  go,  you  will  disappoint 
your  father;  if  you  return,  you  will  make  yourself 
unhappy  with  regrets.  The  only  moral  point  which 
I  perceive  is,  whether  it  is  right  to  gratify  your  father 
or  yourself — for  whichever  is  done,  will  be  at  the  ex 
pense  of  the  other.  It  seems  you  have  faithfully 
served  your  father  the  term  allotted  him  by  law  and 
custom,  and  it  is  certainly  your  right,  as  a  responsible 
man,  to  dispose  of  the  remainder  of  your  time  as  you 
think  best.  It  is  therefore  not  a  question  of  obligation, 
but  of  affection  and  inclination;  and  as  they  draw 
different  ways,  I  would  rather  you  should  decide  for 
yourself.  One  thing  I  may  venture  to  add — I  do  not 
think  your  father  would  have  carried  out  the  wishes 
of  his  father,  had  they  been  repugnant  to  his  own." 

I  read  him  the  letter  I  had  just  written,  and  asked 
his  opinion  of  that. 

"  You  have  certainly  made  out  a  very  strong  case 
for  yourself,"  he  replied;  "  the  arguments  preponder 
ate  in  your  favor." 

"Are  they  substantial  and  just  ?"  I  inquired. 

"They  appear  so  to  my  view." 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  OUR  JOURNEY.   85 

"Then,"  said  I,  grasping  his  hand,  "  the  matter  is 
settled.  I  will  go  with  you." 

His  hollow  cheek  flushed,  and  his  bright  eye 
glistened,  as  he  rejoined : 

"  Thank  God !  I  am  no  longer  alone,  and  have  a 
friend  in  my  companion  I" 


CIIAPTEK  IY. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  OUR  JOURNEY. 

HAVING  arrived  at  a  final  decision,  my  mind  once 
more  became  tranquil.  I  took  an  early  opportunity 
to  post  my  letter,  and  then  busied  myself  in  making 
calculations  and  arrangements  for  my  long  journey. 
My  new  friend  and  I  kept  together  the  remainder  of 
the  day,  and  talked  over  our  plans,  hopes,  and  antici 
pations,  till  a  late  hour  of  the  night.  However  much 
he  might  have  been  improved  in  spirits  by  my  com 
pany,  he  was  certainly  not  benefitted  in  body  by  the 
fresh  excitement  and  the  unusual  task  upon  his  con 
versational  powers.  On  retiring  to  rest,  his  cough 
became  very  troublesome ;  and  the  next  morning  I 
found  him  quite  feverish  and  unrefreshed — so  much 
so,  that  I  insisted  upon  his  remaining  in  his  berth  till 
noon. 

"  I  fear,  my  dear  friend,"  he  said,  in  a  dejected, 
melancholy  tone,  "  I  have  set  out  too  late." 


86  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

He  certainly  did  not  look  as  if  he  could  bear  the 
fatigue  and  excitement  of  a  long,  hard  and  perilous 
journey  beyond  the  comforts  of  civilization — exposed 
to  all  the  change  of  atmosphere  and  climate,  heat  and 
cold,  a  scorching  sun,  damping  dews,  and  drenching 
rains — to  say  nothing  of  a  thousand  other  inconve 
niences,  privations,  and  troubles,  which  often  break 
down  the  hardiest  constitutions ;  but  I  spoke  encour 
agingly,  and  cheered  him  as  much  as  lay  in  my 
power. 

In  person,  Alfred  Yarney  was  of  medium  height, 
slender,  and  gracefully  formed.  In  health,  his  limbs 
had  been  plump  and  round — the  bones  being  small, 
with  very  little  display  of  muscle.  His  complexion 
would  have  been  termed  dark — for  such  was  the 
color  of  his  hair  and  eyes — but  his  skin  had  always 
been  remarkably  clear  and  white ;  and  now,  under 
the  effects  of  his  disease,  it  had  a  pearly  hue,  with  a 
kind  of  alabaster  transparency.  His  face  was  oval, 
with  fine,  regular  features,  which  only  required  the 
freshness  and  plumpness  of  health  to  render  them 
extremely  handsome;  and  even  sunken  and  wasted 
as  they  were,  there  was  still  a  fascination  in  their 
bright  intellectuality — for  the  soul  seemed  to  permeate 
the  whole  countenance  with  its  light,  as  the  rays  of 
the  sun  do  a  gossamer  cloud.  His  dark  hair  slightly 
curled  above  a  broad,  high,  white  forehead ;  he  had  a 
full,  clear,  expressive,  pleasant,  and  winning  eye,  and 
a  mouth  and  chin  of  decided  character — the  former 
containing  two  rows  of  white,  even  teeth,  and  the  latter 


PREPAKATIONS  FOR  OUR  JOURNEY.   87 

being  almost  beardless,  and  cleanly  shaved.  As  I 
contemplated  his  now  emaciated  form,  going  rapidly 
downward,  with  scarcely  a  ray  of  hope  to  strengthen 
his  spirit  against  his  disease,  and  pictured  to  myself  the 
happiness  which  lay  before  him,  could  he  only  regain 
the  health  which  had  once  been  his,  I  turned  away 
with  a  saddened  heart,  and  silently  and  secretly 
prayed  for  his  recovery. 

Descending  to  the  lower  deck,  I  found  the  old 
trapper  seated  on  a  coil  of  rope,  near  the  bow,  quietly 
smoking  his  pipe,  and  listlessly  watching  the  blue 
vapor,  as  it  slowly  curled  and  lazily  ascended  in  the 
clear  morning  air. 

"Well,"  said  I,  "I  find  you  enjoying  yourself  this 
fine  morning." 

"  Augh  1"  he  grunted  ;    "  d'ye  call  this  hyer  fun, 

snagging  it  up  the  Missouri,  on  this old  grunting 

boat  ?  Chaw  me  up  for  a  liar,  ef  I  wouldn't  rayther 
be  picketed  to  a  rattlesnake's  den.  Yes,  sir-ee  I  Augh! 
wagh !  shagh  !  Wall,  hoss,  how  goes  it  ?  Got  over 
your  drunk,  hey?" 

"  The  very  words  which  might,  with  more  propriety, 
be  addressed  to  you,"  said  I. 

"Expect." 

"  When  I  left  you  yesterday,  the  pint  appeared  to 
be  your  master." 

"  I  looked  drunk  to  you,  hey  ?" 

"You  certainly  did." 

"  Wall,  you  did  to  old  One-Eyed — so  we're  quits 
thar.  Augh!" 


88  THE    BO R DEB    ROVE  B. 

"But  as  loth  are  sober  now,"  returned  I,  laughing, 
"  suppose  we  talk  rationally." 

"  Blaze  away." 

"You  intend  to  cross  the  prairies  to  Bent's  Fort?" 

"Beyond,  boy." 

"  You  will  take  the  fort  in  your  route  ?" 

"Expect" 

"You  said  something  yesterday  about  permitting 
me  to  accompany  you  as  far  as  there." 

"  Eayther." 

I  'You  are  still  of  the  same  mind  ?" 
"  You  kin  gamble  on  to  it." 

"  Do  you  expect  to  travel  fast?" 

"Some'at." 

"  Do  you  intend  to  join  any  large  party?" 

"  Nary  once." 

"  You  have  one  companion,  I  think  you  said  ?" 

"  Me  and  Jake  Stericks — Wolfy  Jake  I  calls  him 
— hitches  teams." 

"  But  the  route  I  have  heard  spoken  of  as  one  of 
great  peril,  passing  as  it  does  through  the  summer 
hunting-grounds  of  some  of  the  most  savage  of  the 
predatory  Indian  tribes." 

"  Every  nigger  takes  his  chance.     Augh  !" 

"  But  is  there  not  more  safety  in  a  large  party  ?" 

II  Feared  of  your  ha'r,  younker?" 

"  I  certainly  have  no  desire  to  have  it  grace  an 
Indian  lodge." 

"  Them  as  is  born  to  be  hanged,  needn't  be  skeered 
to  Injins." 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  OUR  JOURNEY.   89 

"  But  not  having  a  positive  assurance  of  being  des 
tined  to  that  elevated  position  myself,  I  do  not  think 
your  sagacious  remark  will  relieve  me  of  any  anxiety. 
It  is  possible,  however,  the  idea  may  have  sustained 
you  through  your  perilous  adventures — for  you  ap 
pear  to  have  entered  into  your  fights  with  a  very 
strorjg  presentiment  of  coming  out  of  them  alive, 
which  you  have  certainly  done." 

For  the  first  time,  I  perceived  the  muscles  of  the 
old  trapper's  face  relax  into  a  broad  grin  ;  and  ex 
tending  his  hard  hand,  he  gave  me  a  grip  like  a  vice, 
and  rejoined : 

"Chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar,  younker,  but  you  is 
some'at  to  punks  ;  and  when  you  slid  the  covert,  the 
old  man,  your  dad,  lost  a  beaver.  Them's  old  Sam 
Better's  sentiments,  and  he's  a  nigger  as  has  seed 
snakes  afore  now.  Augh  !" 

"  Well,"  I  rejoined,  "  I  am  happy  to  find  I  stand 
well  in  your  good  opinion  at  last ;  and  now  I  have 
a  proposition  to  make,  which  is  one  of  business." 

"  Let  her  slide,  younker.  Stop  a  minute  1  What's 
your  handle  ?" 

"My  name?" 

"Augh!" 

"  Eoland  Kivers." 

"  Boiling  Rivers,  hey  ?  Chaw  me,  but  that's  queer. 
I  once  knowed  a  feller  called  Brooks,  and  he  was  jest 
the  driest  human  I  ever  seed.  Me  and  him  got  off  on 
a  perrarie  together,  and  water  wasn't  nowhar.  Arter 
our  throats  got  swelled  so  as  we  felt  thar  was  a  sand-bur 


90  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

inside,  I  says  to  him,  says  I,  *  Brooks,  you're  the 
dryest  stream  ever  this  hyer  old  nigger  seed.  Ef  you 
was  what  you're  called,  hyer's  a  beaver  as  would  take 
a  dive.'  Good  meat  was  Brooks — but  he  got  rubbed 
out  to  the  Blackfoot  and  lost  his  ha'r.  No  relation  of 
yourn,  expect  ?" 

"  I  think  not,"  returned  I,  with  a  laugh. 

"  "Wall,  younker,  you're  not  bad  named,  fur  you 
kin  wet,  as  this  hoss  knows.  Augh !" 

"  Now  then  to  business,"  said  I.  "  Since  I  saw  you 
yesterday,  I  have  met  with  a  young  man,  who  is 
afflicted  with  a  disease,  supposed  to  be  consumption 
of  the  lungs,  and  who  is  on  his  way  to  the  Eocky 
Mountains  for  the  recovery  of  his  health.  I  have  de 
termined  to  be  his  companion  as  far  as  Bent's  Fort  at 
least,  but  I  do  not  think  he  will  be  able  to  travel  fast. 
Now  I  wish  to  know  if  we  can  make  any  arrangement 
with  you  and  your  partner,  so  that  you  will  time  your 
progress  to  what  he  can  perform  without  too  much 
exertion  ?  for  which,  of  course,  we  are  willing  to  give 
you  reasonable  remuneration." 

"  Seasonable  what  ?" 

"  Kemuneration.  In  other  words,  pay  you  a  rea 
sonable  price  in  money;" 

"  Don't  know,   Freshwater,  how  that  mought  be. 
Hev  to  ax  Wolfy  Jake,  afore  this  child  kin  decide  on 
to  that." 
.    "  Well,  what  do  you  think  ?" 

"  Can't  say  how  it  mought  come  across  his  scent. 
He's  powerful  to  growling,  is  Jake,  and  that's  why  I 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  OUK  JOURNEY.   91 

calls  him  wolfy,  and  we're  behind  time  more'n  a  month. 
Ought  to  been  on  the  mountains  long  afore  this  hyer 
— for  ef  beavers  aint  spyling  to  lose  their  ha'r  to  us, 
why  was  perraries  made  ?  Augh." 

"Under  the  circumstances  then,"  said  I,  "since  you 
are  unable  to  decide,  I  think  I  had  better  speak  to  the 
other  mountaineers  here,  and  see  if  we  can  make  any 
arrangement  for  travelling  with  them." 

"  Freshwater,  don't !"  replied  One-Eyed  Sam,  empha 
tically.  "  Boy,  I've  kind  o'  tuk  to  you — slash  my  old 
carcass  ef  I  haint — and  you  kin  gamble  high  on  my 
fetching  Wolfy  Jake  plum  centre." 

"Now  you  are  talking  to  the  point,  sir,  and  I  am 
glad  to  find  you  take  any  interest  in  me  whatever. 
When  I  first  addressed  you  yesterday,  your  actions 
seemed  to  imply  that  my  company  was  not  particu 
larly  agreeable." 

"  You're  right,  younker,  it  wasn't.  I  haint  much 
liking  fur  strangers,  no  how;  and  when  I  sees  a  feller 

rigged  out  in  sich silky,  black,  preacher  toggery 

as  you've  got  on,  I  ginerally  puts  him  down  as  sp'ilt 
meat — jest  fit  for  turkey  buzzards,  and  them  things. 
But  you  broke  inx  decent,  and  kind  o'  tuk  me  afore  I 
knowed  it;  and  ef  I  didn't  keep  letting  on,  it  was 
bekase  I  didn't  like  to  own  up  beat  the  fust  jerk." 

"  Well,  shall  I  consider  it  settled,  that  my  friend  and 
I  are  to  journey  with  you  on  the  conditions  proposed? 
You  seemed  just  now  to  think  your  partner  might 
make  positive  objections." 


92  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  He'll  hev  to  gin  in,  Wolfy  will,  or  else  thar'll  be 
powder  burnt." 

"  I  should  not  like  to  be  the  cause  of  any  disagree 
ment  between  you." 

"  Wall,  he'll  growl  a  few — that's  his  natur — he 
al'ays  does  that  thar,  anyhow ;  but  hyer's  a  nigger  as 
has  some  b'ar  into  him ;  and  when  old  Sam  plants  his 
hoof,  it's  thar.  You  and  your  friend  jest  git  off  to  In 
dependence,  and  leave  the  rest  to  this  child." 

"But  there  must  be  a  good  understanding  with  all 
parties  before  we  set  out  together." 

"Freshwater,  you  kin  take  this  hyer  coon's  davy 
(affidavit)  thar  won't  be  nothing  shorter — nary  once — 
chaw  me.  Augh !" 

"  Very  well — then  we  will  leave  the  boat  at  Inde 
pendence-landing." 

"  You'll  want  a  hoss  apiece,  and  another  rig  for  the 
plains." 

"  Certainly — but  I  suppose  we  can  procure  all  we 
may  need  at  Independence?" 

"  Expect." 

"  Then  I  may  consider  the  matter  as  settled  ?" 

"  Eayther." 

"  What  will  you  drink?" 

"Only  half  a  pint,"  he  replied,  with  a  sly  wink. 
"  "When  this  hyer  beaver  got  up  to-day,  he  says,  says 
he,  'Sam,  you  old  sinner,  it  don't  do  to  indulge.7 

'  Nary  once,'  says  Sam ;  '  but  while  you're  in  this 

climate,  you'd  better  season  nor  spile.'  '  Eight,'  says 
this  beaver,  c  and  half  a  pint  is  enough  fur  seasoning/ 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  OUR  JOURNEY.   93 

So  we  agreed  on  to  that  thar ;  and  chaw  me  up  fur  a 
liar,  ef  we're  going  to  drink  nary  drop  more  to  once. 
Augh!" 

"  A  very  reasonable  resolution,"  said  I,  not  a  little 
amused  at  the  old  trapper's  singular  notions  of  tem 
perance;  and  on  reaching  the  saloon,  I  dispatched 
him  the  stipulated  half  pint  by  one  of  the  waiters. 

My  friend,  as  I  now  felt  I  had  a  right  to  term 
Alfred  Varney,  succeeded  in  getting  a  good  sleep 
during  the  morning,  and  arose  about  noon,  much 
refreshed  in  body  and  improved  in  spirits.  I  im 
mediately  informed  him  of  the  partial  arrangement  I 
had  made  with  the  trapper,  which  met  with  his 
approval.  In  fact  this  very  matter  had  been  talked 
over  between  us  the  night  before,  and  we  had  decided 
either  to  join  some  small  party,  who  might  for  a 
reasonable  consideration  be  induced  to  time  their 
journey  to  our  convenience,  or  else  employ  a  guide, 
and  set  off,  in  colloquial  phrase,  "  on  our  own  hook." 
True,  we  knew  the  journey  under  consideration  to  be 
one  of  great  peril ;  but  we  knew  it  to  be  perilous  for 
both  large  and  small  parties — the  former,  of  course, 
being  better  able  to  withstand  an  attack  of  some 
roaming  band  of  savages— but  the  latter,  from  its 
smallness,  being  less  liable  to  attract  the  notice  and 
excite  the  cupidity  of  hostile  neighbors ;  so  that,  on 
the  whole,  the  chances  of  getting  safely  through, 
might  be  set  down  as  about  equal.  Besides,  as  my 
friend  said,  the  object  of  his  journey  was  the  prolon 
gation  of  his  life ;  and  it  would  be  worse  than  folly 


94  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

to  run  the  risk  of  losing  it,  by  overtasking  himself  on 
the  way,  as  he  might  be  compelled  to  do,  were  he  to 
travel  with  a  large  company,  all  anxious  to  reach 
their  destination  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  I  introduced  Yarney  to 
One-Eyed  Sam ;  who  observed  that  "  he  was  a  power 
ful  thin  beaver,  and  it  would  take  a  heap  of  meat  to 
make  him  fat  enough  to  butcher" — the  pleasantry  and 
oddity  of  the  remark  causing  my  friend  to  laugh  out 
right.  We  held  a  conversation  concerning  the  outfit 
we  would  require,  the  probable  outlay,  and  agreed 
upon  the  amount  we  should  pay  the  trapper  for  escort 
ing  us  safely  to  Bent's  Fort — the  latter  item  being 
neither  more  nor  less  than  one  hundred  dollars — or 
fifty  dollars  apiece — for  I  insisted,  much  against  the 
wish  of  my  friend,  on  being  permitted  to  bear  one- 
half  of  the  whole  expense,  the  extra  charge  for  delay 
on  his  account  included. 

Having  now  done  all  we  could  in  the  way  of  arrang 
ing  our  land  journey,  we  waited,  with  some  impatience, 
the  slow  progress  of  the  boat  up  the  muddy  and  snag- 
bottomed  channel  of  the  Missouri.  The  river  being 
high,  and  the  current  strong,  with  immense  rafts  of 
drift-wood  floating  down,  rendered  the  navigation  of 
the  stream  tedious  and  perilous ;  but  though  we  met 
with  some  troublesome  delays,  no  serious  accident 
occurred ;  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  day,  we 
disembarked  at  Independence-landing,  as  much  elated 
as  ever  were  two  school  boys  at  an  unexpected  holi 
day.  That  night  we  lodged  at  a  comfortable  inn,  in 


PREPARATIONS  FOE  OUR  JOURNEY.   95 

the  very  heart  of  a  great  western  rendezvous,  on  the 
very  borders  of  civilized  and  savage  life,  surrounded 
by  a  motley  collection  of  people  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  consisting  of  emigrants,  travellers,  hunters, 
trappers,  traders,  coureurs  des  lois,  Indians,  half-breeds, 
and  negroes.  The  novelty  of  our  situation  tended  to 
excite  my  companion  and  myself;  and  in  talking 
over  our  plans  and  hopes  for  the  eventful  future,  we 
consumed  many  hours  that  should  have  been  devoted 
to  sleep. 

The  trapper  left  us  at  the  village,  to  go  in  quest 
of  his  friend,  who  was  supposed  to  be  encamped,  with 
his  animals,  somewhere  in  the  vicinity — for  he  dis 
liked  the  settlements  so  much,  that  he  could  not  be 
prevailed  upon  to  remain  in  one  a  moment  longer 
than  was  absolutely  necessary  for  the  transaction  of 
his  business,  whatever  that  might  be. 

On  the  following  morning  Botter  returned,  and 
reported  having  found  his  friend  encamped  on  a  small 
creek,  about  five  or  six  miles  distant,  and  nearly  on 
the  line  of  our  route;  and  that  having  laid  before  him 
the  matter  which  most  concerned  us,  and  done  some 
"  pretty  tall  swearing,"  he  had  carried  his  point,  and 
they  had  finally  parted  like  two  kittens,  to  meet  again 
on  the  following  day  and  commence  their  journey 
across  the  plains. 

"So  now  you  see,  Freshwater,  that  you  and  your 
friend  Shadbones — (excuse  me !  but  this  hyer  old 
nigger  al'ays  has  to  put  a  handle  to  suit  hisself ) — you 
and  your  friend  Shadbones,  I  say,  has  got  desperate 


96  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

little  time  to  buy  up  all  you  want  for  the  tramp,  and 
you'd  better  stir  your  stumps  and  go  in." 

"  And  will  you  only  give  us  twenty -four  hours  to 
prepare  for  our  long  journey  ?"  I  inquired,  in  some 
surprise. 

' '  Aint  that  thar  enough  ?  Chaw  me,  but  I  could 

buy  the  whole settlement  in  three  hours,  ef  I 

only  had  the  tin." 

"Why,  just- now  you  seemed  to  think  the  time 
very  short  yourself." 

"  Yes,  for  you  city  chaps,  who  al'ays  make  a 

rumpus  about  nothing." 

"Then  suppose,  in  consideration  of  our  igno 
rance  and  greenness,  you  give  us  three  days  instead 
of  one?" 

"  Can't  do  it,  Freshwater." 

"  Then  will  you  assist  us  in  our  purchases  ?" 

"  Expect." 

"  Yery  well,  then  we  will  set  about  them  at  once." 

I  need  not  enter  into  details  concerning  that  day's 
work — for  work  it  was,  and  of  the  most  fatiguing 
kind — at  least  I  thought  so  at  the  time ;  for  in  order 
to  spare  my  friend,  I  took  upon  myself  all  the  labor 
and  responsibility  of  purchasing  two  riding  horses, 
and  one  pack-mule,  together  with  saddles,  bridles, 
water- proof  packs,  rifles,  pistols,  knives,  ammunition,  a 
portable  tent,  blankets,  costumes,  and  many  other 
articles  too  tedious  to  mention.  Then  we  had  to 
overhaul  our  baggage,  to  select  what  we  considered 
indispensable,  and  stow  away  all  the  clothing  to  be 


PREPARATIONS  FOB  OUR  JOURNEY.   97 

left  behind,  so  as  to  guard  against  moths — all  of  which 
we  finally  consigned  to  the  care  of  our  landlord,  trust 
ing  to  his  honesty  by  virtue  of  necessity.  Then  our 
new  mountain-costumes  had  to  be  put  on,  our  packs 
packed,  our  bridles  and  saddles  fitted  to  our  animals ; 
and,  what  with  one  thing  and  another,  it  was  twelve 
o'clock  at  night  before  I  was  ready  to  lie  down,  and 
take  my  last  sleep,  for  a  long  time  to  come,  upon 
what,  by  way  of  distinction,  I  will  term  a  civilized 
bed. 

I  had  just  fallen  into  a  comfortable  doze,  and  was 
dreaming  of  home,  when  I  was  suddenly  awakened 
by  a  rough  shake,  and  the  harsh  voice  of  One-Eyed 
Sam  sounded  most  unpleasantly  in  my  ear. 

"Come,  Freshwater,  out  of  this  hyer  feathered 
nest!"  he  said;  "out  on't,  I  say,  and  git  ready  to 
tramp!  Daylight's  about,  and  the  owls  is  gone  to 
roost,  and  this  hyer  old  nigger  wants  to  break  for 
better  quarters.  Augh ! " 

"  Look  you,  Mr.  Botter,"  returned  I,  not  in  the  best 
humor  imaginable — for  I  could  see  no  reason  in  such 
haste,  and  I  had  not  been  used  to  having  my  sleep 
disturbed,  especially  in  so  rough  a  manner:  "Look 
you,  sir!  if  my  memory  serves  me  rightly,  we  pay 
you  a  round  sum  to  travel  with  us  to  suit  our  con 
venience,  and  this  is  certainly  not  the  way  I  had 
expected  you  to  begin  the  performance  of  our  con 
tract.  I  fatigued  myself  yesterday  to  please  you,  and 
now  I  am  going  to  sleep  a  few  hours  to  please  myself." 

"  Wall,  you  kin  do  as  you  like !"  growled  the  old 
5 


98  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

trapper ;  "  but  chaw  me  up  for  a  liar,  ef  this  hyer 

nigger  stays  in  this settlement  another  hour ! 

Augh!  wagh!  shagh!" 

"We  had  better  humor  him,  and  make  an  early 
start,"  said  Yarney  to  me  in  an  under  tone  as  One- 
Eyed  Sam  was  leaving  the  room. 

"Are  you  able  and  willing  to  set  out  now,  my 
friend?"  I  inquired. 

"  Yes,  I  feel  quite  strong." 

"  Very  well,  then,  for  your  sake  I  will  not  be  obsti 
nate.  Mr.  Botter,"  I  called,  "  if  you  will  see  to 
having  the  animals  got  ready,  we  will  set  off  as 
soon  as  you  like." 

We  hastily  arose,  donned  our  new  costumes,  col 
lected  our  weapons,  roused  the  landlord,  and  paid  our 
reckoning ;  by  which  time  the  horses  and  mule  were 
at  the  door,  and  ready  for  the  journey.  Ere  the  sun 
rose,  we  were  in  our  saddles,  and  were  following  close 
in  the  wake  of  the  old  trapper,  who,  with  the  vigor 
and  activity  of  youth,  was  leaving  the  town,  due  west, 
by  long  and  rapid  strides.  We  soon  crossed  a  little 
stream,  and  ascended  a  grass-covered  knoll;  when, 
turning  in  our  saddles,  we  looked  back  on  the  town, 
by  the  dim  morning  light,  and  silently  bade  farewell 
to  the  last  civilized  settlement  we  were  destined  to 
behold,  till  many  a  day  of  peril  and  suffering,  priva 
tion  and  sorrow,  had  placed  its  sad  record  on  the 
tablets  of  our  memories. 


BORDER    INCIDENTS.  99 


CIIAPTEK  Y. 

BORDER  INCIDENTS. 

IT  was  the  latter  part  of  May,  and  the  morning  was 
bright  and  beautiful.  The  atmosphere  was  clear,  the 
air  serene,  and  not  a  cloud  was  visible  in  the  broad, 
blue  sky,  that  dome-like  rose  above  us.  In  the  east 
the  seven  hues  blended  in  perfect  beauty,  and  gradu 
ally  grew  more  and  more  brilliant,  till  the  god  of  day 
himself  appeared,  surrounded  by  a  halo  of  glory. 

The  scene  that  opened  before  us  was  an  undulating 
surface,  carpeted  with  bright  green  grass,  and  flowers 
of  gorgeous  beauty,  and  shaded  here  and  there  with 
delightful  groves,  among  whose  branches  fluttered 
and  twittered  and  sung  ten  thousand  warblers.  Bright 
dew-drops  rested  on  leaf  and  blade  and  flower;  and 
as  the  sunlight  fell  upon  them,  they  glistened  and 
sparkled  like  so  many  diamonds.  The  view  in  all 
directions  was  refreshing — was  delightfully  invigora 
ting  ;  and  had  my  mind  been  wholly  at  ease,  I  should 
undoubtedly  have  experienced  an  exhilaration  akin 
to  rapture.  But  with  the  sensations  of  pleasure  came 
sensations  of  pain.  I  was  leaving  home,  leaving  civi 
lization,  for  an  indefinite  period.  My  bark  was  now 
fairly  adrift  upon  the  ocean  of  adventure,  bound  on 
a  voyage  of  discovery,  and  might  never  anchor  again 
in  a  peaceful  and  quiet  haven.  I  had  taken  leave 


100  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

of  all  who  loved  me ;  had  parted  from  all  I  loved ; 
and  this  as  it  were  by  stealth — in  a  clandestine  man 
ner — in  a  manner  to  make  my  conscience  in  some  de 
gree  my  accuser.  Rivet  my  eyes  upon  whatsoever  object 
of  interest,  turn  my  thoughts  upon  whatsoever  subject 
of  contemplation,  I  could  not  shut  out  the  images 
of  those  who  had  given  me  being  and  reared  me  so 
fondly,  nor  cease  to  remember  my  transgression  of  the 
sacred  law  of  filial  affection.  I  had  not  done  right  in 
leaving  my  parents  for  this  perilous  journey,  without 
an  explicit  and  mutual  understanding;  I  had  been 
wanting  in  moral  courage ;  I  had  left  them  in  a  cow 
ardly  manner  ;  and  no  reasoning  to  the  contrary  could 
be  other  than  sophistry.  I  felt  this — felt  it  deep  in  my 
soul ;  it  was  an  internal  conviction  that  no  external 
argument  could  eradicate ;  and  it  depressed  my  spirits, 
and  made  me  unhappy.  The  more  bright  and  joyous 
the  scenes  around  me,  the  more  sensibly  I  felt  the 
contrast  of  a  heart  made  gloomy  and  sad  by  the  re 
membrance  of  what  iny  conscience  could  not  approve. 
But  the  die  was  cast,  my  destiny  was  sealed,  and  it 
was  not  a  time  for  repentance  now. 

"  How  beautiful !  how  glorious  1  how  enchanting !" 
exclaimed  my  companion,  as  we  rode  slowly  along 
through  green,  dewy  grass,  and  bright,  sweet-scented 
flowers ;  and  as  he  spoke,  his  dark  eye  sparkled,  and 
his  wan  features  flushed  with  animation.  "  See ! 
Roland — see  that  tiny  stream  of  silver,  winding 
around  between  emerald  banks,  and  playing  hide  and 
seek  through  yonder  groves,  where  a  thousand  gay 


BORDER    INCIDENTS. 

birds  are  singing  as  they  might  have  sung  in  Para 
dise  !  Surely,  this  must  be  the  Garden  of  Eden ;  and 
this  morning's  ride  will  well  repay  me  for  days  of 
pain  and  gloom.  Oh !  why  should  I  want  to  die, 
when  God's  earth  is  so  beautiful  ?" 

"  I  am  glad  the  sight  reanimates  you,"  I  replied; 
"  and  it  is  my  earnest  prayer,  that  you  may  be  spared 
to  behold  it  in  years  to  come.  It  is  certainly  the 
most  charming  scene  I  ever  beheld,  and  I  must  regard 
it  as  an  auspicious  beginning  of  our  journey." 

"And  yet  you  seem  sad,  Kolandl"  he  rejoined, 
with  feeling. 

"My  mind  goes  home  in  spite  of  me,  Alfred.  I  am 
forced  to  reflect  that,  whatever  pleasures  may  sur 
round  me,  I  have  done  that  which  will  cause  the  hearts 
of  my  fond  parents  to  beat  with  sorrow." 

"  Can  I  rest  assured  that  I  did  not  influence  your 
decision  with  regard  to  this  journey  ?"  inquired  Yar- 
ney,  with  some  anxiety. 

"You  may  rest  assured  that,  if  that  decision  be 
wrong,  not  the  faintest  shadow  of  blame  can  attach  to 
you.  To  say  you  had  no  influence  upon  my  decision, 
would  be  to  assert  that  I  took  no  interest  in  you  or 
your  fate,  which  would  not  be  true;  but  my  own  mind 
reasoned,  weighed,  and  resolved." 

"Thank  Heaven!  your  words  give  me  relief!"  said 
Yarney.  "  But,  Eoland,  if  you  regret  your  resolve,  it 
is  not  too  late  to  retrieve  it.  If  you  have  any  com 
punctions  of  conscience,  I  pray  you  turn  back,  and 
consider  me  in  the  matter  not  at  all !" 


102  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"No!"  said  I,  firmly;  "I  shall  go  forward,  be  the 
consequences  what  they  may." 

Steadily  the  old  trapper  pursued  his  course,  taking 
long  and  rapid  strides,  turning  neither  to  the  right 
nor  left,  and  apparently  heeding  nothing  around  him: 
I  say  apparently,  for  it  was  not  so  in  reality — the  truth 
being  that  nothing  escaped  his  eagle  glance.  About 
two  miles  west  of  Independence,  we  passed  a  pleasant 
grove,  where  a  large  party  of  emigrants  and  adven 
turers  had  encamped  the  night  before,  only  one  of 
whom  was  now  to  be  seen.  He  was  a  tall,  raw-boned, 
green-looking  specimen  of  a  country  rustic,  and  was 
mounted  on  a  slab-sided  skeleton  of  a  beast,  which, 
by  dint  of  kicks  and  curses,  he  urged  up  to  us  on  a 
trip-hammer  trot. 

"  I  say,  whoa,  you  scamp,  you !"  he  sung  out  to  his 
shadowy  animal,  as  he  came  up  along  side  of  me,  at 
the  same  time  giving  the  cord  rein  a  violent,  sudden 
jerk,  which  brought  the  horse's  nose  to  a  nearly  per 
pendicular  position,  while  his  legs  seemed  to  keep 
wilfully  moving  forward.  "I  say,  you  fellers,  you 
haint  seen  no  stray  mules  nor  nothing  along  your  way, 
I  calculate,  have  you?" 

"Nary  mule,  stranger,"  replied  the  trapper,  sud 
denly  wheeling  about,  and  slyly  tipping  me  a  wink ; 
"  but  I  seed  a  stray  jackass." 

"  Where,  neow  ?"  inquired  our  peaked-faced  friend, 
with  a  nasal  whine,  that  said  "wooden  nutmegs"  as 
distinctly  as  ever  a  clock  said  "tick."  "  Whoa !  you 
consarned  old  beast,  you  1"  jerking  the  rope-bridle,  as 


BOBBER    INCIDENTS.  103 

his  half-starved  animal  made  a  sudden  lurch  forward 
for  a  tempting  bunch  of  green  grass.  UI  guess  I'll 
larn  ye,  you  denied  old  gormandizer,  you!  Didn't 
you  have  enough  last  night  tew  last  you  a  month — 
say,  neow?" 

"I  should  not  suppose,  from  the  condition  of  your 
horse,  he  would  ever  want  to  eat  again,"  said  I,  turn 
ing  away  to  conceal  a  laugh. 

"  That's  a  fact,  I  sweow ;  but,  dern  him !  he's  jest 
like  Phar'oh's  lean  kind — he  don't  want  to  dew  nothing 
else  but  eat.  Wai,  Mister,  where'd  you  see  that  are 
jackass?" 

"  Straddle  a  pile  of  hoss-bones.    Augh  I" 

"  Dew  tell !"  was  the  innocent  reply  of  our  Yankee 
friend.  "  Calculate  he  was  dead  ?" 

"  Nary  once,  greeny — wagh!  haghl  waghl"  roared 
One-Eyed  Sam,  which  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever 
heard  him  laugh  boisterously. 

"  Say,  you,  Mister,  (addressing  me,)  what's  the 
matter  with  that  are  feller?  So'thing  up  here,  I 
guess !"  tapping  his  head. 

"Yes,"  said  I,  "you  can  see  he  has  been  injured;" 
and  I  drew  my  finger  across  the  base  of  my  forehead, 
to  indicate  the  long  white  scar  of  the  trapper. 

"  Wai,"  pursued  the  Yankee,  "  about  them  are 
mules,  consarn  'em  I  You  see  my  name's  Pease !" 

"Green  in  the  pod,  chaw  me!"  interrupted  Botter, 
with  another  roar. 

Mr.  Pease  looked  very  sharply,  very  savagely  at 
the  trapper,  and  rejoined : 


104  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  I  know  a  tiling  or  two  about  taming  you  fellers. 
You've  been  hurt  in  the  upper  story;  but  a  sharp 
eye'll  fetch  you  down,  if  you  don't  look  eout.  Yes, 
(turning  to  me,)  look  him  sharp  in  the  eye — that's  the 
way  to  make  a  lunatic  haul  in.  "Wai,  as  I's  saying,  my 
name's  Pease,  and  I'm  all  the  way  from  the  State  of 
Connecticut,  going  over  tew  Oregon,  to  look  eout  some 
prime  land.  There's  a  big  party  on  us,  and  we  camped 
down  there  last  night,  and  I've  lost  two  mules,  which 
I  want  to  find  the  wo'st  kind.  The  other  fellers  have 
gone  on  and  left  me  to  dew  it  alone ;  and  I've  looked 
all  areound,  without  seeing  a  derned  thing  of  'em. 
What'llldewneow?" 

"  Hyer's  a  nigger  as  will  tell  you  what  you'd  better 
do,  afore  you  spile,"  put  in  One-Eyed  Sam,  advancing 
to  the  side  of  the  forlorn  traveller.  "Ef  you  ever 
expect  to  see  your  friends  agin,  you'd  better  put  some 
salt  on  to  your  top-knot,  and  start  old  bones  arter  'em. 
Augh!" 

The  Yankee  looked  savagely  at  the  speaker,  and 
then  inquiringly  at  me. 

"  I  think  the  advice  is  good,"  I  said.  "  I  am  afraid 
you  will  notsfind  your  mules;  and  the  longer  you  re 
main  behind  your  friends,  the  more  difficulty  you  will 
have  in  overtaking  them,  especially  with  your  horse 
in  his  present  condition." 

"  Consarn  it,  what'll  I  dew  ?"  whined  Mr.  Pease  of 
Connecticut.  "  Them  are  derned  mules  carried  all 
my  duds.  I  got  a  feller  to  let  me  put  'em  in  his 
wagon,  till  I  found  'em ;  but  he'll  make  me  pay  li 


BORDER    INCIDENTS.  105 

thunder,  if  they  has  to  go  all  the  way  in  his  team. 
But  I  guess  I'll  have  to  gin  'em  up.  I  don't  see 
nothing  on  'em  nowhere.  Much  obleeged  to  yo'K, 
Mister.  "Whoa!  hold  up  your  consarned  old  head, 
will  you  ?  You'll  have  to  dew  so'thing  besides  eat, 
you  old  fool !  Wai,  good-bye ;  and  now,  go  'lang  1" 
and  with  a  few  jerks  at  his  rope-bridle,  and  sundry 
kicks  on  the  ribs  of  his  skeleton  beast,  Mr.  Pease  set 
off  in  the  direction  taken  by  his  travelling  companions, 
and,  riding  through  the  before-mentioned  grove,  was 
soon  lost  to  our  view. 

This  incident  created  a  fund  of  merriment,  and 
proved  highly  beneficial  to  me,  by  diverting  my 
thoughts  from  more  serious  matters. 

Thus  far  we  had  kept  upon  the  regular  western 
trail ;  but  we  now  turned  off  in  a  southerly  direction ; 
and  after  travelling  an  hour  longer,  over  a  fine,  beau 
tiful  country,  partly  open,  and  partly  timbered,  with 
bright,  green  grass  and  gay  flowers  all  around  us,  we 
came  suddenly  upon  the  camp  of  Jake  Stericks.  It 
was  in  a  little  valley,  hidden  from  our  view  until  we 
had  ascended  the  hill  which  overlooked  it.  A  clear 
little  stream  purled  through  the  valley,  margined  by 
green  "  tall  grass" — so  called,  by  way  of  distinguish 
ing  it  from  the  short  "  buffalo  grass"  of  the  plains  or 
prairies — while  a  grove  of  trees,  consisting  for  the 
most  part  of  hickory,  walnut,  ash  and  cottonwood, 
threw  over  it  a  delightful  shade.  Tour  mules  and 
two  horses,  hoppled  and  tethered,  were  quietly  crop 
ping  the  green  herbage,  within  pistol  shot  of  the 


106  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

trapper,  who  was  squatted  upon  the  ground,  beside 
his  "  kit,"  lazily  smoking  his  pipe. 

On  perceiving  us,  Stericks  slowly  gathered  himself 
upon  his  feet,  and  giving  himself  a  shake,  like  a  water 
spaniel,  awaited  our  approach  in  a  kind  of  dogged 
silence.  He  was  a  short,  square-built  man,  about 
forty  years  of  age,  with  a  broad,  bronzed,  phlegmatic- 
looking  face,  light  brown,  curly  hair,  and  a  small, 
cold  blue  eye.  As  we  drew  up  along  side  of  him,  he 
fixed  his  eye  upon  the  animals,  which  he  scanned  like 
a  connoisseur,  but  appeared  to  take  no  notice  of  the 
riders. 

"  Hyer  we  is,  "Wolfy !"  said  Botter,  dismounting. 
"  Got  arything  to  feed  ?" 

Wolfy  Jake  pointed  to  a  quarter  of  a  deer,  sus 
pended  to  the  limb  of  a  tree,  and  then  to  the  sun. 

"  I  knowed  it,"  he  grumbled  ;  "  never  will  git  off. 
Why  didn't  you  git  your  feed  whar  you  did  your 
work  ?" 

"  Ef  you  knowed  it,  old  growler,  whar's  your  fire  ?" 
inquired  One-Eyed  Sam,  as,  whipping  out  his  knife, 
he  cut  down  the  meat,  and  proceeded  to  divide  it  into 
slices  for  toasting.  "  Yes,  you  knowed  it,"  he  con 
tinued  ;  "  and  not  a spark  to  swa'r  by.  Whar's 

your  kindlings?" 

Stericks  pointed  to  a  handful  of  dry  twigs  and 
leaves,  which  he  had  collected ;  and  while  Botter 
struck  fire  with  flint  and  steel,  he  set  to  work  to  har 
ness,  pack,  and  prepare  the  animals  for  the  journey. 

"  Come  1"  said  the  old  trapper  to  us,  as,  having  dis- 


BORDER    INCIDENTS.  107 

mounted,  we  stood  watching  his  proceedings,  with 
the  interest  which  anything  novel  generally  excites ; 
"  ef  you  want  your  feed,  you'd  best  go  in ;"  and  hav 
ing  by  this  time  started  a  fire,  he  thrust  a  sharp,  stick 
into  a  large  slice  of  meat,  and  held  it  to  the  blaze. 
"  A-u-g-h  1"  he  resumed,  with  a  long  drawn  grunt  of 
satisfaction,  as,  having  scorched  the  meat  outside  and 
heated  it  through,  he  tore  out  a  large  mouthful  with 
fingers  and  teeth  ;  "  this  hyer's  living  agin,  chaw  me ! 
Come,  Freshwater,  jest  you  and  Shadbones  go  in — fur 
this  hyer  nigger  'd  like  to  make  a  long  tramp,  to 
please  that  thar  "Wolfy,  and  the  thing's  agin  natur 
with  a  empty  meat-trap.  Augh  !" 

*  *  We  may  as  well  make  a  beginning,"  said  I  to 
Yarney.  "  The  smell  of  the  toasting  meat  gives  me 
an  appetite,  and  we  can  season  with  salt — besides,  you 
know,  we  have  laid  in  a  good  stock  of  sea-biscuits." 

We  accordingly  set  to  work,  and  prepared  our  first 
meal  beyond  the  settlements,  which  we  devoured  with 
a  relish  known  only  to  those  who  have  made  the 
trial.  I  was  pleased  to  see  that  Varney  ate  heartily ; 
and  when  we  had  concluded  our  simple  repast,  and 
washed  it  down  with  clear  water  from  the  running 
stream,  he  exclaimed,  somewhat  enthusiastically : 

"  Roland,  my  friend,  this  is  delightful !  I  seem  to 
feel  stronger  already." 

Meantime,  Stericks  had  saddled  the  two  horses,  to 
be  ridden  by  himself  and  Botter,  and  had  packed  the 
mules  with  the  kit  to  be  used  by  them  on  their  jour 
ney  into  the  wilderness,  so  that,  all  being  ready  for  a 


108  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

new  start,  we  had  only  to  mount  and  set  forward. 
Shaping  our  course  to  the  northward,  we  soon  struck 
the  great  Santa  Fe  Trail,  and  followed  it  for  some 
twenty  miles,  over  the  same  rolling,  delightful  country, 
which  continued  to  present  to  the  view  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  landscapes  it  has  ever  been  my  fortune 
to  behold.  The  day  was  warm ;  but  a  refreshing 
breeze  blew  steadily  from  the  west,  and  relieved  it  of 
anything  like  sultriness.  My  friend  bore  the  fatigues 
of  equestrianism,  so  new  to  both  of  us,  much  better 
than  I  had  anticipated  ;  but  when  the  sun  had  passed 
the  meridian  some  three  hours,  he  signified  his  wish 
to  rest  for  the  night,  in  order  not  to  overtask  his  feeble 
system.  At  this,  Wolfy  Jake,  who  so  far  had  scarcely 
noticed  us,  began  to  grumble  and  complain  that  such 
foolish,  childish  delays  would  keep  him  from  the 
mountains  till  too  late  to  trap  beaver  enough  to  buy 
his  tobacco. 

11  It  is  for  these  very  delays  that  we  have  agreed  to 
pay  you  a  good  round  sum,"  said  I,  in  a  tone  calcu 
lated  to  assure  him  I  knew  my  rights,  and  did  not 
intend  to  be  cheated  out  of  them,  to  please  one  who 
had  taken  no.  pains  to  render  himself  an  agreeable 
companion. 

"  See  hyer,  boy,"  he  replied,  turning  to  me  with  a 
look  of  fierce  contempt,  "who  axed  you  to  put  in 
your  blab  ?" 

Though  taught  from  youth  to  curb  my  temper, 
and  keep  a  rein  upon  my  passions,  I  had  never  so 
mastered  myself,  or  been  so  mastered,  as  to  quietly 


BOEDER    INCIDENTS.  109 

brook  an  intended  insult ;  and  as  he  spoke,  I  felt  my 
features  flush,  and  the  hot  blood  leap  through  my 
veins.  My  first  impulse  was,  to  spring  from  my  horse 
and  drag  him  from  his ;  but  by  a  great  effort  I  re 
strained  myself,  and  rejoined,  as  quietly  as  I  could, 
though  it  seemed  to  me  the  words  fairly  hissed  as 
they  came  forth : 

"  Sir !  when  you  address  we,  boy  though  I  may  be 
in  your  aged  estimation,  I  will  thank  you  to  do  so  in 
a  more  respectful  manner !" 

"  Come,  come,  friends — no  quarrelling !"  said  Yar- 
ney,  anxiously,  spurring  his  horse  in  between  us. 
"Bather  than  have  a  quarrel,  I  will  endeavor  to  ride 
a  few  miles  further.'* 

"  Not  a  mile  further !"  said  I.  "  We  stipulated  that 
this  journey  should  be  made  to  suit  your  convenience; 
and  if  our  guides  do  not  intend  to  adhere  strictly  to 
these  conditions,  we  will  turn  back  at  once,  and  let 
them  go  on  alone." 

"  Them's  the  tarms,  and  you  knows  it,  Wolfy,"  put 
in  One-Eyed  Sam,  riding  up  along  side  of  his  dis 
satisfied  partner  ;  "  and  so  it's  the  advice  of  this  hyer 
old  beaver,  that  you  jest  shut  up  your  meat-trap ! 
D'yehe-ar?" 

"  That  boy's  insulted  me ;  and  I'll  lick  him  for't,  or 
die !"  growled  Stericks. 

"  Wolfy  Jake,  that  thar  ain't  so,"  returned  Sam. 
"  I  seed  and  heerd  the  whole  on't ;  you  insulted  him ; 
and  ef  you  dar  to  put  a  paw  on  to  him,  hyer's  a  nig 
ger  as  '11  let  daylight  through  you  agin,  by !" 


110  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

This  threat  silenced  Stericks,  who  now  relapsed 
into  a  sulky  mood,  and  rode  slowly  along,  evidently 
brooding  revenge  in  his  heart.  In  the  course  of  a 
few  minutes,  the  old  trapper,  as  if  without  design, 
brought  his  horse  along  side  of  mine,  and  in  a  lo\v 
tone,  so  as  not  to  be  overheard  by  his  companion, 
said : 

"  Freshwater,  I  can't  say  you  didn't  do  right  in 
speaking  up  like  a  man ;  but  I'm  desperate  sorry  you 
and  Wolfy  has  quarrelled — for  he's  the  devil  to  git 
along  with — has  got  a  memory  like  a  red  nigger — 
and  thar  ain't  another  human  on  the  borders  kin  shut 
him  up  'cept  me.  Me  arid  him  once  had  a  grand  go 
in ;  and  when  we  kim  out,  he'd  got  daylight  clean 
through  him,  and  this  hyer  old  nigger  hadn't  one  eye, 
four  teeth,  and  jest  only  a  chunk  of  a  nose.  This 
happened  up  to  the  Svveetwater  Divide,  long  time 
ago;  and  nary  human  seed  the  fight  'cept  me;  for 
Wolfy  laid  out  in  his  tracks,  as  dead  as  a  skinned 
buffler.  I  dug  a  hole,  and  was  gwine  to  cache*  him, 
when  I  seed  him  begin  to  fotch  sensible.  This  child 
took  care  on  'him,  and  fed  him  for  two  months  ;  and 
when  he  got  about,  he  swo  rehe'd  never  fight  sich  a 

. cantankerous  old  hoss  agin,  and  he  hain't. 

Augh !" 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "I  regret  that  I  have  had  occasion 
for  hard  words,  on  a  journey  which  I  had  hoped 

*  A  terra  used  by  the  mountain  men,  signifying  to  bury  or 
hide— from  the  French  word  "  cacher." 


BORDER     INCIDENTS.  Ill 

would  prove  agreeable  to  all  parties — but  what  would 
you  have  me  do  ?" 

"  Let  him  growl,  and  don't  say  nothing.  Growling 
is  into  his  natur',  jest  as  nateral  as  a  bite  ar'  into  a 
snapping  turkle ;  and  all  you  has  to  do,  is  to  jest  let 
him  hev  his  say,  and  no  bones  broke.  It's  desperate 
hard  to  do  it,  to  a  lad  of  speret  like  you ;  but  what 
good  'ud  kim  fur  getting  into  a  fight,  and  leaving 
your  carcass  out  in  these  hyer  diggings,  jest  below 
wolf-smell?" 

"  True,"  said  I,  after  a  moment's  reflection  ;  "  what 
good  would  come  of  fighting  a  man  who  seems  to 
know  little  else  ?  I  will  take  your  advice,  sir,  and 
remain  silent  or  civil,  unless  he  encroaches  too  much 
upon  good  nature.  But  understand  one  thing,  Mr. 
Better " 

"  Sam,  I  is — One-Eyed  Sam — leastways  sence  I  fit 
Wolfy  Jake — and  I  don't  know  no  sich  beaver  as  Mr. 
Botter." 

"Very  well,  then,  Sam — if  you  prefer  being  so 
called — I  want  it  distinctly  understood,  before  we 
proceed  any  further,  that  you  are  to  make  each  day's 
journey  no  longer  than  my  friend  can  perform  with 
out  excessive  fatigue  !  It  is  in  consideration  of  this  we 
have  agreed  to  pay  you  your  own  price ;  and  if  you 
think  you  and  your  partner  cannot  conform  to  the 
contract,  without  even  so  much  as  grumbling,  why 
then  we  part  here." 

"  That  thar  seems  all  fa'r  and  squar7,  chaw  me  !" 

"  It  is  as  it  seems,  Sam." 


112  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  "Wall,  you  drop  behind,  and  let  this  hyer  nigger 
Lev  a  confab  with  Wolfy." 

I  made  a  halt,  and  called  Yarney  to  my  side,  while 
Botter  spurred  on  and  overtook  his  friend.  I  related 
to  Yarney  what  had  passed  between  the  trapper  and 
myself,  and  he  shuddered  as  he  replied : 

"  Oh,  my  dear  friend,  how  fortunate  it  is  that  you 
did  not  get  into  a  physical  contest  with  that  danger 
ous  fellow !  You  would  have  been  killed,  I  feel 
assured ;  and  then  what  would  have  become  of  poor 
me  ?  Oh,  for  my  sake,  Koland,  if  not  for  your  own, 
avoid  quarrelling  with  men  who  would  think  no  more 
of  killing  you  than  they  would  a  wolf  I" 

"  Would  you  have  me  act  the  coward  when  insul 
ted  ?"  I  inquired,  with  some  asperity. 

"Answer  me,  Koland !"  returned  Yarney;  "which 
requires  the  most  true  courage — to  bear  a  harsh, 
unkind,  contemptuous  word-insult,  or  to  resent  that 
word-insult  with  a  retort,  and  perhaps  a  blow  ?" 

"  To  bear  in  silence,"  said  I. 

"  Then  I  would  have  you  courageous  beyond  what 
the  world  terms  courage." 

"It  is  not  in  my  nature  to  be  so." 

"We  can  mould  our  nature,  in  a  great  degree, 
Eoland,  I  know  by  experience ;  and  we  often  throw 
the  blame  of  some  hasty  action  upon  our  natural 
disposition  and  passions,  when  the  blame  should  rest 
upon  our  acquired  infirmities,  through  inattention  to 
the  laws  of  proper  mental  government  or  self-control 
— upon  the  inner  man,  that  should  govern  the  outer." 


BORDER     INCIDENTS.  113 

"  I  feel  you  are  right — I  know  you  are  right — yet 
it  is  much  easier  to  feel  and  know  right,  than  to  do 
it." 

"  Ay,  my  friend  ;  and  there  comes  the  struggle  in 
which  every  reasoning  being,  made  in  God's  image, 
immortal  as  his  Maker,  should  engage — the  struggle 
to  conquer  himself." 

"  And  would  you,  if  attacked,  not  defend  yourself?" 

"  Most  assuredly,  else  would  I  not  go  armed ;  but 
bear  in  mind,  there  is  a  great  difference  between  an 
insult  and  an  attack.  Self-preservation  is  the  first  law 
of  nature,  seen  in  the  instinct  of  every  living  thing ; 
and  if  attacked  to  the  danger  of  life,  then  we  have  a 
right  to  protect  life,  even  should  such  protection 
require  the  life  of  the  assailant." 

"  And  yet,  after  all,"  said  I,  "you  come  far  short  of 
what  Jesus  Christ  taught  and  practiced ;  he  justified 
no  retort,  retaliation,  or  resistance ;  but  if  smote  on 
one  cheek,  to  turn  the  other." 

"  I  grant  you,"  said  Yarney,  with  a  smile ;  "  but  if 
my  platform  of  self-guidance  falls  short  of  that  laid 
down  by  the  Great  Master,  how  much  more  so  yours  ? 
No  man  living  can  be  wholly  like  Jesus  Christ ;  but 
the  nearer  we  approach  him  in  principle,  the  more  we 
purify  and  fit  our  spirits  for  eternal  communion  with 
the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect.  But  see!  Bot- 
ter  has  separated  from  his  companion,  and  is  awaiting 
us  :  let  us  ride  on." 

"One  question  more,"  said  I,  as  we  started  our 
horses  forward.  "You  heard  Stericks  threaten  to 
G 


114  THE    BORDER     ROVER. 

chastise  me  for  my  insolence  :  if  he  lay  hand  on  me, 
what  would  you  have  me  do  ?" 

He  looked  hard  at  me,  his  eye  "brightened,  and  his 
thin  lips  compressed,  as  he  answered  : 

"  I  am  a  very  weak,  erring  mortal,  I  find,  after  all, 
Koland.  If  he  touch  you,  without  further  provoca 
tion — which  Heaven  forbid — I  cannot  expect  you 
will  forget  you  are  armed  against  savages  and  wild 
beasts." 

"  Enough,  my  friend — I  understand  you !" 

On  coming  up  to  Botter,  he  said : 

"  I've  gin  Wolfy  Jake  a  right  smart  chance  of  a 
talking  to,  and  it's  the  opine  of  this  hyer  old  hoss 
he'll  keep  down.  D'ye  see  that  thar  clump  of  trees 
yonder  ?" 

"  Yes." 
I.  "  We  camp  thar.    Augh  !" 

"You  have  triumphed,  Koland,"  whispered  Yar- 
ney ;  "  but  God  send  you  do  not  have  cause  to  re 
gret  it!" 


OUR    FIRST    CAMP.  115 


CHAPTER  VI. 

OUR      FIRST      CAMP. 

WELL  do  I  remember  our  first  camp  beyond  the 
borders  of  civilization.  It  is  one  of  the  pictures  which, 
still  hang  in  the  cabinet  of  memory.  The  spot  selected 
was  in  a  little  dell,  beneath  a  clustering  grove  of 
hickory,  maple,  ash,  linden  and  sycamore,  through 
whose  interlocking  branches  the  grape-vine  wound  in 
gay  festoons,  and  made  an  arbour  fit  for  a  lady's  siesta. 
Through  this  delightful  retreat  rippled  a  rivulet,  its 
bright,  clear  waters  rolling  over  a  bed  of  white  sand 
and  pebbles  that  sparkled  like  gems.  The  green, 
luxuriant  grass  was  variegated  with  flowers  of  many 
hues,  and  birds  of  gay  plumage  played  bo-peep  and 
sung  songs  amid  the  heavy  foliage,  or  clove  the  air, 
like  winged  jewels,  as  they  passed  over  the  adjacent 
openings. 

The  face  of  the  country  was  still  the  same  as  wo 
had  passed  over  during  the  day — a  rolling  prairie  of 
high  grass  and  flowers,  alternating  with  ridges  rocky 
and  steep,  and  wood-lined  streams.  Our  camp,  which 
Varney  christened  Calyptra,  was  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  south  of  the  great  trail,  and  had  evidently  not 
been  visited  by  any  of  the  parties  passing  so  near. 
We  at  once  unsaddled  our  animals,  which  seemed 
eager  for  the  enjoyment  before  them,  and,  having 


116  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

hoppled,  turned  them  loose.  Yarney  and  I  next  set 
to  work  to  erect  our  portable  tent ;  which  consisted 
of  small  strong  ash  poles,  made  to  lengthen  by  means 
of  iron  slides,  unite  at  the  top,  and  fold  together  like 
an  umbrella.  A  sharp  iron  spike,  at  the  bottom  of 
each  pole,  readily  penetrated  the  earth,  and  made  the 
base  firm  ;  and  there  were  rings  and  short  hand  spikes, 
by  which  we  could  farther  secure  it,  with  very  little 
trouble.  Over  the  frame,  when  spread,  we  drew  a 
water-proof  canvass,  which  we  fastened  down  with 
hooks ;  and  thus  our  house  was  erected,  with  the  cost 
of  only  ten  minutes'  labor.  Underneath  this  tent 
we  placed  all  our  baggage,  and  swung  our  hammocks 
to  rings  in  the  poles  ;  so  that,  whatever  might  be  the 
weather  without,  we  could  sleep  above  ground,  and 
escape  being  drenched. 

"  There,"  said  Yarney,  when  we  had  put  everything 
in  order,  "  if  the  Indians  will  only  be  kind  enough  to 
let  us  alone,  I  think  we  can  sleep  as  comfortably  as 
twin  monkeys  in  a  menagerie." 

11  It's  all  powerful  nice  fur  you  settlement  fellers," 
said  Botter,  as  he  inspected  outside  and  inside,  with 
a  look  of  curiosity;  "but  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  hyer's 
a  nigger  as  'ud  sooner  hev  'arth  for  a  bed,  and  heaven 
for  a  kivering,  nor  all  sich  squaw  contrivances  ever 
made.  Augh  I" 

"  Every  one  to  his  liking,"  said  I. 

"Wall,  yes,  expect — and  that  thar's  what  this  hyer 
old  coon  telled  old  Joe  Nesbit's  darter,  Sal,  when  she 
tuk  to  a  hump-backed,  squint-eyed  tailor,  'stead  of 


OUR    FIRST    CAMP.  117 

rae.  But  I  say,  Freshwater,  how  long  do  you  'spect 
that  thar  flimsy  fixing  is  gwine  to  float  out  this  hyer 
way?" 

' '  I  see  no  reason  why  we  may  not  carry  it  through 
with  us." 

"  Don't  ye  now?"  said  Sam.  "Wall,  jest  you  wait 
till  one  of  them  perrarie  storms  gits  afoul  on't,  and 
you'll  hear  so'thing  howl,  or  else  thar  aint  no  b'ars. 
Augh!" 

"You  think  it  wouldn't  stand  a  storm-gust,  then?" 

"  Some  I've  seed  afore  to-day,  'ud  fotch  it  out  like 
a  Kaintuck  dandy-nigger's  dickey,  you  kin  gamble  on 
to  that." 

"Well,  we  must  take  the  chances.  My  friend, 
being  in  delicate  health,  was  afraid  to  venture  sleeping 
on  the  ground — at  least  until  inured  to  the  climate 
and  change  of  life.  But  where  is  your  companion  ?" 

"  Gone  fur  meat.  He  seed  a  deer  over  yonder,  and 
felt  like  chawing — fur  Wolfy's  one  of  them  as  is 
powerful  on  to  feed." 

"  I  feel  inclined  to  try  the  sport  myself,"  said  I. 

"  Ever  do  arything  to  that  sort  ?" 

"  Never." 

"  Then  its  like  you'll  hev  more  fun  nor  meat." 

"  You  think  I  can't  kill  a  deer,  eh  ?" 

"  You  kin  try,  Freshwater." 

"And  try  I  will,"  said  I;  "though  I  am  free  to 
acknowledge  myself  more  familiar  with  a  day-book 
than  with  a  rifle." 

"  Do  not  go  far,"  said  Varney,  with  some  uneasi- 


118  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

noss;  "for  not  being  familiar  with  the  country,  you 
might  get  lost." 

"  Have  no  fear,  my  friend  !  I  will  keep  the  camp 
in  view,  and  return  by  sunset,  at  the  very  latest." 

"  Let's  see  what  you've  got  fur  a  shooter,"  said  Sam ; 
and  he  gave  my  rifle  a  careful  inspection.  Then 
levelling  it  for  an  aim,  and  holding  it  with  an  iron 
nerve,  that  had  no  tremor,  he  discharged  it — adding, 
as  he  brought  the  breech  to  the  ground :  "  Ef  she's  fit 
fur  a  old  hunter  to  sw'ar  by,  thar's  a  hole  plum  centre 
in  yon  yaller  leaf." 

We  hastened  to  the  object  which  he  had  selected, 
at  the  distance  of  some  seventy  paces,  and  found  it 
bored  through  the  centre. 

"  An  admirable  shot !"  exclaimed  I. 

"Not  a  bad  shooting-iron,"  said  Sam,  indifferently. 
11  With  a  good  eye,  and  steady  arm,  she'll  do  herself 
a  heap  of  credit;  and  that's  more'n  kin  be  said  of 

every gim-crack  like  her!"  alluding  to  the 

silver-plated  mountings.  "I  say,  Freshwater,  what'll 
you  gin  fur  a  shoot  to  this  hyer  old  nigger,  a  hundred 
paces  off." 

"  I  have  no  desire  to  kill  you,"  said  I.  Botter  burst 
into  a  horse-laugh. 

"  I'd  jest  like  to  gamble  on  to  it,  you  can't  hit  nary 
tree  to  that  thar  distance." 

"What  will  you  bet?"  inquired  I,  supposing  him 
to  be  joking. 

"Money?" 

"  Anything  you  please." 


OUR    FIRST    CAMP.  119 

"  I'll  try  your  narves  on  to  five  dollars." 

"  That  I  can't  hit  a  tree  at  a  hundred  paces  ?" 

"  Kayther." 

"  Done!"  said  I :  "  select  your  mark,  and  prepare  to 
Jose ;"  and  hastily,  and  under  some  excitement,  I  pro 
ceeded  to  reload  my  rifle. 

Botter  pointed  out  a  tree,  and  said : 
"  Ef  you  graze  the  bark,  old  One-Eyed  owes  you 
live  ;  ef  you  don't" — 

"  Young  Two-Eyed  owes  you  ten  1"  rejoined  I, 
toughing;  and  bringing  my  rifle  to  my  shoulder, 
with  a  quick  and  somewhat  careless  aim,  I  fired. 

"  Nary  once,  chaw  me !"  rejoined  Sam,  fixing  his 
one  eye  upon  me,  with  a  most  ludicrous  expression. 
"  I  knowed  it — you  city  chaps  hain't  the  narve  you 
reckon  you  has." 

I  hurried  to  the  tree,  and  felt  deeply  chagrined  to 
find  no  trace  of  the  bullet,  high  nor  low. 

"  Perhaps  you  would  like  to  double  that  bet  ?"  said 
I,  somewhat  nervously. 

"  Kayther." 

I  went  back,  loaded,  and  fired  again,  with  the  same 
result. 

"The  piece  does  not  carry  true,"  said  I,  greatly 
mortified. 

"  Double  to  quits,"  returned  Botter,  with  a  broad 
grin,  "  that  this  hyer  one-eyed  old  nigger  bores  a 
dollar  with  that  thar  same  shooter." 

"Done!" 

I  fastened  a  white  flower,  the  size  of  a  dollar,  to  the 


120  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

tree;  and  One-Eyed  Sam,  standing  at  the  required 
distance,  loaded  and  fired  with  great  deliberation. 
The  flower  fell.  I  hastened  to  pick  it  up,  and,  to  my 
utter  astonishment,  found  the  ball  had  driven  the  pin 
through  its  centre. 

"  The  de'il  is  in  it  I"  said  I,  perplexed  and  crest 
fallen.  "  I  will  give  over  hunting  deer  for  to-day, 
and  practice  at  a  mark." 

"  Let  me  try  my  hand  !"  said  Yarney. 

"  Two  to  one  agin  you,  Shadbones  1"  roared  Bot- 
ter,  fairly  holding  his  sides. 

"  That  I  don't  hit  the  tree  at  this  distance  ?" 

"  Expect." 

"  My  horse  against  yours,  Sam !"  said  Yarney, 
flushing  with  excitement. 

"  Them's  'em— let  her  went !" 

Yarney  loaded,  fired,  and  missed  the  tree. 

He  looked  perfectly  blank  at  the  result,  and  I  en 
joyed  a  laugh  at  his  expense. 

"  If  I  were  as  superstitious  as  some  I  have  known," 
he  said,  looking  curiously  at  the  old  trapper,  "  I  would 
be  willing  to  swear  you  had  bewitched  this  rifle.  I 
never  missed  sucn  a  mark  before,  at  such  a  distance, 
in  my  life." 

"  Thar's  tricks  to  all  trades  'cept  ourn,"  rejoined 
Botter,  throwing  himself  upon  the  ground,  in  a 
paroxysm  of  laughter. 

Never  had  I  seen  the  old  trapper  so  completely 
convulsed  with  merriment :  he  rolled,  yelled  and 
screamed,  till  our  horses  pricked  up  their  ears,  and 


OUR    FIRST    CAMP.  121 

snorted  with  fear  :  and  no  wonder — for  his  was  a  most 
unearthly  cachinnation,  something  between  the  screech 
of  a  catamount  and  the  bellow  of  a  bull,  alternating 
upon  the  upper  and  lower  keys. 

"  He  has  played  us  some  trick,  you  may  depend  1" 
said  Yarney.  "  I  know  I  am.  not  such  a  bad  shot  as 
to  miss  a  tree  at  a  hundred  yards,  even  though  I 
might  not  hit  a  dollar." 

"  But  what  can  be  his  trick  ?"  inquired  I :  "  wo 
loaded  the  rifles  ourselves." 

Varney  again  levelled  the  piece,  ran  his  eye  along 
the  barrel,  and  exclaimed  : 

"  I  have  it !  I  have  it  I  he  has  altered  the  hind 
sight :  no  wonder  we  could  not  hit  the  tree  1" 

"  Let  that  thar  1'arn  ye  to  al'ays  keep  your  eya 
skinned,  and  look  to  your  hind  sights  as  well  as  tar 
get  ! — look  close  around  your  nose  as  well  as  a  mile 
ahead ! — them's  the  lessons  we  old  mountain-men  larn 
'arly  I"  said  Better,  gathering  himself  up,  and  wiping 
the  tears  from  his  one  eye.  "  Augh  !"  he  continued, 
drawing  a  long  breath  ;  "  this  hyer  old  nigger  hain't 
had  sich  a  right  down  good  old  Kaintuck  yell,  senco 
he  barked  around  his  mamma's  float-sticks — chaw 
me !" 

"  And  do  you  claim  the  bets  for  your  trick  ?"  I 
inquired. 

"  Nary  once,  Freshwater — I'll  gin  in  on  to  them 
thar.  Shadbones  wants  his  hoss,  I  expect,  and  you've 
been  decent  fur  a  greeny  ;  so  we'll  quit  squar' — or  ef 
you  rayther,  we'll  wet  on't  to  Bent's." 


122  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  I  shall  remember  my  first  lesson,"  said  I — and 
I  did. 

"  Trust  in  God  and  keep  your  powder  dry,"  was  a 
remark,  which  the  position  of  the  speaker,  together 
with  its  peculiarity  and  force,  rendered  immortal ; 
and  "  look  close  around  your  nose,  as  well  as  a  mile 
ahead,"  though  homely  phraseology,  certainly  con 
tained  good  advice  for  one  who,  like  myself,  was  ven 
turing  upon  an  unknown  region  of  danger. 

Having  properly  adjusted  the  hind  sight  of  my  rifle, 
and  reloaded  it,  I  made  another  trial  of  marksmanship; 
and  found  I  not  only  hit  the  tree,  but  within  three 
inches  of  the  point  at  which  I  had  aimed ;  and  this, 
even  the  old  trapper  admitted,  was  remarkably  good 
shooting  for  one  having  as  little  practice  as  myself. 

"  But  fur  all  that  thar,  Freshwater,"  he  continued, 
"  I  wouldn't  be  afeard  to  gamble  high  on  to  it,  that 
you  don't  fotch  nary  deer ;  and  what's  more  to  the 
pi'nt,  that  you  couldn't  plug  a  live  one  to  thirty 
yard  I" 

"  Why  so  ?" 

"  'Kase  you're  young,  green,  and  hain't  the  narve." 

"  A  fig  for  your  sage  opinion  !"  said  I,  with  a  laugh. 
"  You  might  have  made  me  believe  something  of  this, 
if  I  had  not  discovered  the  trick  you  just  now  played 
me ;  but  nothing,  save  repeated  failure,  can  convince 
me  I  cannot  lodge  a  ball  in  a  deer  as  well  as  a  tree." 

"  You  kin  try  it,"  grinned  Sam. 

11  And  try  it  I  will,  this  very  day — that  is,  if  there 
are  any  deer  to  be  found." 


OUR    FIRST    CAMP.  123 

"  Skase,  but  about,"  returned  Better,  "and  it's 
good  three  hour  to  sundown.  Now  see  hyer,  boy  I  ef 
you  fotch  in  ary  part  of  a  deer,  that  you've  shot,  this 
hyer  old  nigger'll  back  water  agin  all  he's  said  about 
greenness,  and  stand  a  heavy  wet  to  Bent's  hisself. 
Augh !" 

"  If  I  don't,"  rejoined  I,  "I  will  give  you  leave  to 
laugh  and  drink  at  my  expense,  and  to  call  up  as 
many  friends  as  you  like." 

"  Be  careful,  my  friend,  not  to  lose  sight  of  the 
camp,  in  your  eagerness  to  establish  a  reputation  as  a 
hunter!"  said  Yarney. 

"Have  no  fear!  I  will  take  the  best  of  care  of 
myself,  in  every  particular,"  was  my  confident  reply. 

I  then  proceeded  to  equip  myself  for  a  hunt  on 
foot ;  and  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  I  had  left 
the  camp,  secretly  exulting  in  my  anticipated  triumph. 

I  have  said  that  the  country  was  partly  open  and 
partly  timbered — the  ground  rolling,  with  an  appear 
ance  similar  to  large  swells  of  the  ocean.  The  face  of 
the  country  was  so  much  alike  in  every  direction,  that 
I  saw  one  might  easily  lose  himself,  unless  proper 
precautions  were  adopted;  but  I  set  off  directly  south, 
resolved  not  to  go  beyond  a  certain  point,  from  which 
I  could  easily  retrace  my  steps.  I  soon  started  some 
prairie-chickens  from  the  covert  of  the  tall  grass;  but 
as  I  was  bent  upon  bringing  in  a  deer,  I  did  not  waste 
any  ammunition  upon  them.  Next  I  came  upon  some 
animals  resembling  the  hare;  but  for  the  same  reason, 
I  did  not  molest  them.  Deer,  in  this  region,  were 


124  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

rather  scarce  ;  but  after  a  tramp  of  a  couple  of  miles, 
I  espied  a  group  of  four  in  the  distance;  and  creeping 
carefully  along  to  the  leeward,  I  soon  had  the  satis 
faction  of  placing  a  wooded  knoll  between  them  and 
myself,  which  enabled  me  to  draw  near  them  with 
less  caution,  and  without  being  scented  or  seen. 

I  had  never  fired  at  an  animal  of  the  size  of  a  deer 
in  my  life;  and  I  now  felt  myself  laboring  under 
more  excitement  than  I  had  anticipated;  much  of 
which,  however,  I  attributed  to  my  eager  desire  to 
convince  the  old  trapper  that  he  had  greatly  under 
rated  my  hunting  qualities.  On  reaching  the  knoll, 
or  ridge,  I  made  a  cautious  ascent,  through  tangled 
brush  and  brambles,  fearful  lest  each  snap  of  a  dry 
stick  or  twig  might  alarm  the  wary  game.  At  length 
I  reached  the  summit ;  and  crawling  carefully  on  my 
hands  and  knees  over  a  ledge  of  rocks,  I  parted  some 
intervening  bushes,  and,  to  my  great  delight,  beheld 
four  sleek,  beautiful  deer,  daintily  cropping  the  green 
herbage  within  fifty  yards  of  me.  I  now  became  so 
nervously  excited,  that  my 'long  rifle  shook  like  an 
aspen,  as  I  slowly  pushed  the  muzzle  forward,  prepa 
ratory  to  a  fatal  aim.  I  had  just  got  my  nerves  a 
little  quieted,  and  was  in  the  act  of  glancing  along  the 
barrel,  with  my  breath  suspended,  when  I  heard  a 
loud,  ominous  rattle  close  to  my  side.  I  started  with 
a  thrill  of  horror,  and  a  single  glance  showed  me  an 
enormous  rattlesnake,  partly  coiled,  with  head  erect, 
forked  tongue,  and  fiery  eyes,  within  three  feet  of  me. 
To  say  that  I  sprung  to  my  feet,  and  went  down  the 


OUK    FIRST    CAMP.  125 

other  side  of  the  hill,  regardless  of  alarming  the  deer, 
in  the  shortest  possible  time,  is  only  to  admit  that  the 
instincts  of  nature  acted  for  my  preservation,  without 
calling  upon  reason,  or  any  of  the  slow,  operating 
faculties. 

It  is  no  use  to  deny  it — I  was  scared.  I  felt  cold 
chills  run  down  my  back,  and  my  hair  gather  itself 
on  end ;  while  my  legs  displayed  a  power  of  locomo 
tion,  as  they  bore  me  through  the  valley  below  and 
after  the  flying  deer,  which  even  my  long  familiarity 
with  them  had  previously  failed  to  discover  and  place 
to  their  credit.  I  will  not  say  I  ran ;  for  to  run,  even 
from  a  rattlesnake,  would  by  some  be  considered 
cowardly;  but  I  will  venture  to  assert,  that,  in, 
Western  parlance;  "  I  did  some  pretty  tall  walking." 
Ere  I  reached  the  opposite  slope,  my  rifle  and  hat 
went  off  at  the  same  instant — the  one  in  front,  the 
other  behind.  As  I  stopped  and  stooped  for  my  hat; 
something  whizzed  over  my  head ;  and  immediately 
after,  I  heard  the  report  of  a  rifle;  while  from  a 
thicket,  distant  some  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hun 
dred  yards,  I  saw  a  wreath  of  thin  blue  smoke  float 
lazily  upward  and  disperse  in  the  light  breeze. 

Here  was  another  narrow  escape  from  another 
danger,  and  for  the  time  being  the  rattlesnake  was 
driven  from  my  mind.  I  had  evidently  been  shot  at 
by  a  good  marksman,  and  the  stooping  for  my  hat 
had  saved  my  life.  But  why  had  I  been  shot  at  ?  and 
by  whom  ?  I  was  in  a  region  of  country  thinly  peo 
pled  by  Indians ;  but  then  they  were  known  to  be 


126  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

friendly  to  the  whites,  and  were  living  on  lands  ceded 
to  them  by  our  Government.  Had  I  been  mistaken 
for  a  deer?  I  glanced  do\vn  at  my  green  hunting 
frock,  and  fringed  buckskin  trousers,  and  could  fancy 
no  resemblance  to  that  innocent  quadruped,  except  in 
the  quickness  with  which  I  had  lifted  one  foot  after 
the  other  from  among  the  tall  grass. 

Suddenly,  a  horrible  suspicion  seized  me.  Wolfy 
Jake,  who  was  out  hunting  deer  like  myself,  had  pro 
bably  seen  me,  and  sought  to  gratify  his  malignant 
passions  by  a  cold-blooded  murder.  I  shuddered  all 
over  as  the  thought  flashed  through  my  mind,  and  I 
made  all  haste  to  bury  myself  in  the  brushwood  of 
the  swell  or  ridge  toward  which  I  had  shaped  my 
flight  from  my  more  magnanimous  foe,  and  which 
fortunately  was  within  fifty  yards  of  where  I  had 
made  my  second  escape  from  an  awful  death. 

Being  now  fairly  screened  by  a  dense  copse,  I  drew 
a  long,  quavering  breath  of  momentary  relief,  and 
proceeded  to  reload  my  rifle  with  a  trembling  hand  ; 
while  my  knees  knocked  together  from  a  sort  of  ner 
vous  weakness,  and  a  cold,  clammy  perspiration 
seemed  to  start  from  every  pore.  My  rifle  again 
loaded,  I  felt  my  courage  again  return ;  and  with  the 
reaction  from  an  almost  paralytic  surprise  and  terror, 
came  a  wicked  indignation ;  and  as  my  blood  again 
leaped  through  its  natural  channels,  with  a  burning 
sensation,  I  solemnly  resolved,  if  I  discovered  Ster- 
icks  anywhere  in  the  vicinity,  to  shoot  him  down  as 
I  would  a  wild  beast. 


OUR    FIRST    CAMP.  127 

This  was  not  a  very  Christian-like  Intention,  I 
know;  and  under  less  excitement,  I  should  never 
have  so  determined ;  but  I  was  not  then  in  a  condi 
tion  to  reason  calmly  on  a  matter  involving  crime.  I 
was  beyond  the  limits  of  civilization,  and  in  a  country 
where  the  strong  arm,  keen  eye,  and  sure  rifle  must 
stand  me  in  place  of  law.  My  life  had  been  sought ; 
I  had  the  right  of  self-protection,  by  any  and  every 
means  ;  and  the  fact  of  his  being  in  the  vicinity,  would 
have  then  been  sufficient  proof  to  my  mind,  that  he 
alone  was  the  deadly  foe  whom  personal  safety  re 
quired  me  to  destroy. 

Fortunately  for  my  subsequent  peace  of  mind,  to 
say  nothing  worse,  I  did  not  discover  him.  I  ^crept 
through  the  bushes  to  a  point  whence  I  could  over 
look  the  covert  from  which  the  smoke  had  issued, 
and  also  the  adjacent  country ;  but  though  I  kept  a 
careful  watch  till  the  sun,  large  and  red,  went  down 
behind  the  western  line  of  earth  and  sky,  I  saw  no 
human  being.  The  gathering  shades  of  night  now 
warned  me  that  it  was  high  time  to  set  out  upon  my 
return  to  camp ;  and  looking  carefully  to  the  priming 
of  my  rifle,  and  laying  my  course  with  my  eye,  I  was 
soon  hastening  through  the  tall  grass  of  the  valley 
already  mentioned.  Avoiding  Eattlesnake  Eidge,  as 
I  mentally  christened  the  point  of  my  first  peril,  I 
kept  along  the  hollow  some  half  a  mile,  and  then 
turned  off  to  the  right,  over  what  I  supposed  to  be  the 
very  undulations  I  had  previously  traversed. 

So  confident  was  I  of  pursuing  the  proper  direc- 


128  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

ticm,  and  so  occupied  was  my  mind  with  the  startling 
events  of  the  last  few  hours,  that  the  possibility  of 
missing  my  way  did  not  occur  to  me  till  night  had 
fairly  set  in ;  when  suddenly  looking  up  and  around, 
a  moment's  reflection  convinced  me  that  I  had  already 
passed  over  more  ground  than  lay  in  a  direct  line  be 
tween  the  furthest  point  I  had %  visited  and  the  camp. 
Instantly  a  glow  of  heat  passed  over  me,  a  new  alarm 
thrilled  through  me,  and  I  fairly  shuddered  at  the 
thought  that  perhaps  I  was  lost. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

A    THRILLING    ADVENTURE. 

LOST  in  the  wilderness !  Lost  on  the  prairie !  What 
terrible  associations  are  linked  with  these  two  phrases, 
in  the  mind  of  him  who  has  ever  experienced  their 
heart-sickening  reality!  No  situation,  probably,  in 
which  a  human  being  can  be  placed,  can  more  forcibly 
bring  home  to  him  the  enervating,  overpowering  sense 
of  human  littleness  and  human  helplessness — the 
crushing,  blasting  sense  of  loneliness  and  desolation — 
than  being  completely  lost  in  the  awful  solitudes  of 
nature.  He  looks  around  him,  as  far  as  his  strained 
and  aching  sight  can  reach,  and  beholds  solitude 
stretching  away  and  away,  seemingly  limitless;  he 
looks  above  him,  and  beholds  the  heavens  spread  with 


A    THRILLING    ADVENTURE.  129 

cheerless  grandeur  over  all;  while  excited  fancy 
places  him  in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  Great 
Principle  which  wrought  a  world  from  chaos;  and 
standing  there,  a  conscious  atom  of  the  Universe,  his 
sins,  like  culprits,  rise  up  before  him,  and  ready  con 
science  pronounces  a  severe  judgment — a  judgment 
from  which  there  is  no  appeal  to  human  sympathy. 
Time  misspent — wrongs  committed — all  the  errors  of 
a  life  passed  in  the  whirl  and  turmoil  of  a  human 
vortex — now  rise  up  for  dispassionate  review ;  and 
his  inner-self  writes  the  sentence  that  expels  him  from 
all  that  is  pure  and  holy. 

It  was  not  my  misfortune,  in  the  present  instance, 
to  experience  all  these  sensations  in  the  full  poignancy 
of  despair — for  I  did  not,  for  a  moment,  consider  my 
self  lost  beyond  hope — but  I  felt  enough  to  make  me 
wretched.  That  I  should  find  my  companions,  either 
soon  or  late,  I  did  not  doubt — for  I  had  not  as  yet 
advanced  far  enough  into  the  wilderness  to  preclude 
the  possibility  of  a  sudden  return  to  the  settlement  I 
had  left  in  the  morning,  where  I  could  procure  another 
horse  and  take  a  fresh  start  upon  the  broad  trail ;  but 
should  I  find  them  during  the  night  that  had  now  just 
dropped  its  dark  curtains  around  me  ?  And  if  not, 
what  physical  sufferings  might  result  to  myself!  and 
what  prostrating,  mental  anguish  to  my  dear  friend ! 
who  had  already  begun  to  cling  to  me,  and  put  his 
hope  in  me — as  the  mariner  puts  his  trust  in  the  bark 
which  bears  him  over  the  great  deep — and  to  whom, 
therefore,  my  absence  would  be  a  source  of  grief  and 


130  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

alarm,  that  would  banish  sleep  from  his  debilitated 
frame  1  And  for  myself,  I  was  much  fatigued  with 
my  day's  ride;  foot-ramblings,  and  intense  nervous 
excitement,  and  felt  the  need  of  both  food  and  rest. 
With  the  exception  of  a  single  sea-biscuit,  I  had  eaten 
nothing  since  morning  ;  and  the  keen,  gnawing  sense 
of  hunger,  which  I  now  experienced,  brought  addi 
tional  dejection  to  my  oppressed  spirits. 

But  it  was  folly  to  stand  idle,  or  sit  down  and  brood 
over  my  misfortune  ;  and  so,  collecting  all  my  forces 
with  a  will,  both  mental  and  physical,  I  determined  to 
find  the  camp,  if  it  were  possible  to  be  found.  Ascend 
ing  the  highest  knoll  or  ridge  in  my  immediate  vicinity, 
I  surveyed  the  landscape  in  every  direction,  as  far  as 
my  sight  could  penetrate  in  the  star-light  darkness — 
but  saw  nothing  to  determine  my  course.  I  shouted 
with  the  whole  strength  of  my  lungs — but  only  the 
echo  of  my  voice,  the  hooting  of  some  owl,  or  the 
dismal  howl  of  a  distant  wolf,  came  back  in  answer. 
I  discharged  my  rifle — but  my  hearing  remained 
unrejoiced  by  another  report ;  and  reloading  my 
piece,  I  again  set  off,  taking  a  more  westerly  course. 

In  a  few  minutes  I  came  upon  a  small  stream  of 
water,  which  I  supposed  to  be  the  same  that  flowed 
past  our  camp — but  could  not  decide  whether  that 
camp  were  above  or  below.  Being  undetermined,  I 
mounted  another  elevation,  and  away  to  the  westward 
discerned  a  light,  which  I  believed  to  proceed  from 
the  fire  of  a  camp — but  whether  from  the  one  I  was 
in  search  of  or  not,  I  could  not  say.  At  all  events,  it 


A    THKILLING    ADVENTURE.  131 

was  a  welcome  sight,  for  it  showed  the  locality  of 
human  beings ;  and  with  my  eyes  riveted  upon  it, 
with  as  eager  a  gaze  as  ever  miser  bestowed  upon  his 
gold,  I  made  all  haste  over  the  intervening  ground, 
and  reached  it  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  mak 
ing  the  discovery. 

It  proved  to  be  the  camp  of  a  party  of  emigrants 
and  traders,  united  for  the  journey,  on  their  way  to 
New  Mexico.  There  were  some  twenty  or  thirty 
wagons  in  all,  which  were  arranged  in  a  circular  form, 
in  regular  order,  on  the  bank  of  a  little  creek,  the  side 
next  to  the  water  being  left  open.  Here,  at  different 
fires,  the  several  parties,  or  families,  were  having  pre 
pared  their  evening  meal — the  women,  some  eight  or 
ten  in  number,  being  the  principal  cooks ;  while  the 
men  were  packing  and  unpacking,  smoking,  lounging, 
and  looking  after  their  animals,  which  were  picketed 
within  rifle  range.  As  I  drew  near  the  camp,  no  one 
seemed  to  take  any  notice  of  me  ;  and  before  I  had 
addressed  any  one,  my  attention  became  arrested  and 
riveted  upon  an  object,  that  for  the  time  caused  me  to 
forget  where  I  was  and  what  I  sought. 

In  the  full  blaze  of  a  bright  fire,  over  which  was 
suspended  a  kettle,  which  she  seemed  to  be  watching, 
stood  a  pale,  delicate,  but  beautiful  girl,  of  perhaps 
sixteen  or  seventeen  years,  bare-foot,  and  clad  in 
coarse  garments.  The  style  of  her  dress  was  rather 
Mexican  than  American,  and  consisted  of  a  scarlet 
petticoat,  with  a  full,  flowing  sack,  which  covered  her 
bust  and  a  portion  of  her  arms,  and  fell  half  way  below 


132  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

the  waist,  around  which  it  was  secured  by  a  blue  belt 
— thus  giving  her  a  somewhat  fanciful  and  picturesque 
appearance.  The  usual  appendage  of  the  head — the 
long  muffler,  or  rebozo — was  wanting  ;  and  her  long 
raven  ringlets  fell  in  wanton  profusion  around  her 
pale  face,  neck  and  shoulders. 

But  it  was  the  expression  of  that  pale  face  which 
riveted  my  gaze.  The  features  were  fine  and  beauti 
ful,  seemingly  intellectual,  but  melancholy  to  a  degree. 
They  did  not  lack  soul,  but  lacked  the  soul  of  happi 
ness.  They  seemed  as  if  a  blight  had  fallen  upon  the 
young  heart — as  if  a  secret  sorrow  were  nestled  in  the 
soul.  The  eyes  were  large,  dark,  full  and  dreamy ; 
and  beaming  through  long,  drooping  lashes,  the  ex 
pression  was  very  sweet  and  fascinating — the  more 
fascinating,  perhaps,  that  its  constant  sadness  seemed 
to  demand  constant  sympathy. 

As  I  stood  somewhat  in  the  shade,  and  silently  re 
garding  her,  I  could  not  but  fancy  that  some  fairy  had 
been  expelled  from  her  bright  realm,  and  been  doomed 
for  a  season  to  wander  over  an  unsympathizing,  un 
congenial  world.  I  felt  a  strange  interest  in  her — an 
interest  for  which  I  could  not  account.  I  had  never 
before  experienced  such  peculiar  sensations  in  the 
presence  of  one  of  her  sex.  It  was  as  if  some  unknown 
superhuman  force  were  drawing  me  to  her,  and  com 
pelling  the  conviction  that  her  destiny  and  mine  were 
in  some  unaccountable  manner  united.  For  a  time  I 
was  fascinated — spell-bound.  What  could  it  mean? 


A    THKILLING    ADVENTURE.  138 

I  aroused  myself,  with  a  start  of  surprise,  and,  without 
a  moment's  reflection,  advanced  straight  to  her  side. 

"  Fair  being,"  said  I,  "  who  are  you  ?" 

My  voice  broke  her  reverie — for  until  I  spoke  she 
did  not  perceive  me.  She  looked  up  suddenly,  and 
for  a  moment  her  soft,  dark  eyes  timidly  rested  upon 
mine.  I  felt  a  strange  thrill  pass  through  every  nerve 
and  fibre  of  my  system,  and  a  strong  impulse  to  rush 
forward  and  clasp  her  in  my  arms.  What  did  it  all 
mean?  and  what  foolish  thing  might  I  have  done, 
had  my  magnetic  infatuation  continued  without  inter 
ruption  I  But  it  was  harshly  interrupted. 

"  Who  are  you,  stranger  ?  and  what  do  you  want  ?" 
demanded  a  gruff  voice,  that  instantly  transported  me 
from  Paradise  to  Pandemonium. 

I  started,  and  my  fairy  shrank  timidly  away.  I 
looked  around,  and  discovered  that  the  voice  proceeded 
from  a  black-haired,  swarthy,  ill-favored,  very  earthly- 
looking  human  being,  who  was  reclining  on  the 
ground  near  one  of  the  wagons.  He  had  a  pipe  in 
his  hand,  from  which,  as  he  spoke,  he  knocked  the 
ashes ;  and  gathering  himself  upon  his  feet,  he  came 
swaggering  forward  to  where  I  stood.  His  height 
was  about  five  feet  ten  inches,  his  frame  bony,  his  fea 
tures  cadaverous,  his  eye  black  and  devilish,  and  his 
age  about  forty-five  years. 

"Were  you  addressing  yourself  to  me,  sir?"  I 
inquired,  in  a  subdued  tone;  while  I  felt  certain  that 
a  close  examination  would  discover  anything  but 


134  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

a  pleasant  mood  in  my  flushed  face  and  flashing 
eyes. 

"  Yes,"  he  gruffly  replied ;  "  I  was  talking  to  you, 
and  to  nobody  else  !  I  want  to  know  who  you  are  ? 
and  what  you  want  ?" 

"And  I  want  to  know  what  right  you  have  to 
make  the  inquiry  ?"  returned  I. 

"I'll  let  you  know, soon,  if  you  don't  give  me 

a  straight-forward,  civil  answer." 

"  When  you  put  your  questions  in  that  courteous 
manner  which  is  due  from  one  gentleman  to  another," 
said  I,  "I  will  answer  you  civilly  and  correctly;  but 
if  you  think  to  bully  me  into  a  gentlemanly  reply, 
you  have  mistaken  your  man." 

"  Well,  I  want  no  more  words  with  you !"  he  re 
joined,  biting  his  lip  ;  "  so  take  yourself  off!  Away 
with  you  now !" 

"  I  am  not  used  to  being  ordered  away  like  a  dog," 
said  I. 

"  Well,  you  had  better  get  used  to  it  then — for  a 
decent  dog  is  worth  two  of  you !" 

"  You  are  an  insolent  scoundrel !"  said  I. 

"By  !  no  man  tells  me  that  and  lives,"  he 

fairly  shouted  with  rage ;  and  as  he  spoke,  he  darted 
to  his  wagon  and  seized  his  rifle. 

Ere  he  could  bring  it  to  a  level,  my  fairy,  who  had 
been  standing  back,  a  witness  of  all  that  had  taken 
place,  suddenly  bounded  forward,  with  a  scream,  and, 
seizing  his  arms,  exclaimed : 


A    THRILLING    ADVENTURE.  135 

"  Oil !  don't  shoot  him,  father !  for  God's  sake,  don't 
shoot  him !" 

"Back,  spawn  of  a  heil-cat!"  he  cried,  gnashing  his 
teeth  with  fury ;  and  raising  his  hand,  he  dealt  her  a 
blow  on  the  side  of  the  head  which  laid  her  prostrate 
on  the  earth. 

I  could  bear  no  more;  I  was  beside  myself  with  a 
thousand  wild  fancies ;  my  brain  was  in  a  whirl ;  I 
thought  of  nothing  but  that  I  was  in  a  country  with 
out  law,  where  my  life  had  twice  been  sought ;  that 
my  angel  protector  had  been  struck  down  by  a  demon 
in  the  human  form ;  that  it  was  his  life  or  mine ;  and 
bringing  my  piece  to  a  level,  I  darted  forward,  and 
discharged  it  within  ten  feet  of  his  breast. 

He  fell.  I  saw  him  fall,  and  heard  him  groan.  But 
I  stood  as  one  paralyzed.  What  had  I  done?  Had 
I  committed  murder? 

"Oh,  sir!  oh,  sir!  you  have  killed  him!"  broke  in 
the  sweet,  mournful  voice  of  the  being  for  whose  life  I 
would  have  given  mine;  and  seemingly  unmindful  of 
the  foul,  brutal  blow  she  had  herself  received,  she 
crawled  to  him,  and  bent  over  him — affectionately,  I 
fancied,  she  bent  over  the  prostrate  monster  whom 
she  had  called  father,  and  whom  my  act  had  laid  low, 
perhaps  in  death. 

I  stood  transfixed — my  eyes  riveted  upon  two  ob 
jects — an  angel  and  a  demon.  There  came  a  rush 
of  feet — a  buzz  of  voices.  Shadowy  spectres  seemed  to 
flit  past  the  different  firelights — to  the  right — to  the 
left — before,  and  behind.  I  was  soon  surrounded; 


136  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

my  strained  sight  no  longer  rested  upon  the  angel 
and  the  demon ;  other  objects  intervened  ;  I  felt  rude 
hands  grasp  me,  and  comprehended  that  I  was  being 
hurried  away. 

All  this,  I  think,  occupied  no  more  time  than  I 
have  in  recording  it ;  and  I  was  finally  aroused  from 
a  kind  of  mental  lethargy,  by  words  uttered  in  a  tone 
of  stern  reproof  and  inquiry. 

"  Young  man,  you  have  probably  killed  one  of  our 
party  ?  Who  are  you  ?  how  came  you  here  ?  and 
what  led  you  to  shoot  Gaspard  Loyola  ?" 

I  looked  up,  and  saw  myself  surrounded  by  some 
ten  or  twelve  strong,  muscular,  hardy,  bronze-fea 
tured,  resolute  men.  The  speaker  was  advanced  in 
years,  and  had  iron-gray  hair,  and  a  commanding 
appearance.  To  him  I  addressed  my  reply. 

"Sir  I"  said  I — "most  deeply  do  I  regret  the  sad 
occurrence  of  which  you  speak ;  and  half  an  hour 
since,  I  should  have  regarded  as  insane  the  man  who 
had  predicted  that  I  was  on  the  point  of  staining  my 
hands  with  the  blood  of  a  total  stranger." 

I  then  proceeded  to  state  who  I  was ;  whence  I 
came ;  the  peculiar  circumstances  which  had  led  me 
to  their  camp ;  the  cause  of  my  quarrel  with  the  per 
son  they  called  Loyola ;  and  how,  while  acting  in  self- 
defence,  I  had  been  governed  by  a  kind  of  insane 
impulse. 

"  I  think  Mr.  Eivers  speaks  the  truth,"  said  one  of 
the  party ;  "  for  you  know  this  Loyola  makes  it  a 
point  to  quarrel  with  every  one  who  crosses  his  path ; 


A    THRILLING    ADVENTURE.  137 

and  I  myself  heard  a  portion  of  the  conversation  just 
repeated,  and  saw  the  Spaniard  run  for  his  rifle,  and 
knock  down  the  girl  for  interfering." 

"  He  deserves  all  he's  got'!"  said  another,  with  an  oath. 

"  We  will  examine  the  girl,"  rejoined  the  first  spea 
ker,  "and  if  she  corroborates  the  statement  of  the 
young  man,  we  must  acquit  him." 

Leaving  some  three  or  four  of  the  party  with  me, 
as  a  kind  of  guard,  he  then  walked  away  with  the 
others,  to  where  the  wounded  man  was  lying. 

"  I  feel  faint,"  said  I,  to  those  remaining  with  me; 
"I  have  scarcely  tasted  food  since  morning :  will  you 
permit  me  to  sit  upon  the  ground  ?" 

"  Come  with  me,"  returned  one,  "  and  I  will  give 
you  food." 

He  led  the  way  to  a  wagon,  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  camp,  where  his  supper — which  he  was  in  the 
act  of  devouring,  when  interrupted  by  the  general 
alarm — was  still  spread  out  on  the  end-board — the 
latter  being  turned  down  and  supported  horizontally, 
to  serve  as  a  table.  The  repast  before  me  consisted 
of  hot  coffee,  with  sugar — a  great  luxury  in  the 
wilderness — a  freshly  baked  corn-cake,  and  several 
smoking  slices  of  meat,  with  salt.  He  got  another 
cup  and  poured  it  full  of  coffee — first  asking  me  if  I 
would  take  some  whiskey,  which  I  declined. 

"  Eat,  young  man,"  he  said,  in  a  kindly  tone ;  "  you 
are  welcome." 

I  did  not  feel  the  same  keen  appetite  as  when 
wandering  over  the  rolling  prairie ;  but  being  very 


138  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

faint,  I  considered  it'  essential  to  take  food  to  sustain 
nature.  Accordingly,  I  drank  off  half  the  coffee  at 
once,  and  then  ate  a  few  mouthfuls  of  the  corn-cake 
and  meat — which,  owing  to  the  weak  and  nervous 
state  of  my  system,  I  swallowed  with  difficulty,  and 
with  a  sensation  of  nausea. 

While  thus  engaged,  the  wife  of  my  kind  and  hos 
pitable  entertainer,  who  gave  me  his  name  as  Phillips, 
came  running  up  and  exclaimed  : 

"  William,  they  think  he'll  die,  though  he  is  still 
alive." 

I  staggered  at  the  words ;  for  till  now,  knowing 
Loyola  to  be  alive,  I  had  some  hope  that  his  wound 
would  not  prove  mortal ;  and  had  Phillips  not  caught 
me,  I  should  have  fallen  to  the  ground. 
'  "  Hush,  Martha  I"  he  said  to  his  wife  ;  "  have  you 
no  regard  for  the  young  man's  feelings  ?" 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir !"  returned  the  woman, 
addressing  me  in  a  kindly  tone.  "  I  did  not  think  be 
fore  I  spoke.  But  nobody  seems  to  blame  you  :  they 
say  you  did  it  in  self-defence." 

lt  God  forbid  the  man  should  die !"  groaned  I,  sink 
ing  down  upon  a  box,  in  great  distress  of  mind. 

Mr.  Phillips,  and  the  men  who  were  with  him,  used 
such  words  as  they  could  to  console  me ;  but  I  had  a 
terrible  consciousness,  that,  should  the  man  die,  I 
should  never  know  peace  of  mind  again.  While  they 
were  yet  talking  to  me,  the  venerable  head  of  the 
party — for  such  he  was  by  election — returned  and 
said: 


ADELE    AND    MYSTERY.  139 

"Mr.  Elvers,  you  stand  honorably  acquitted  of 
crime.  The  testimony  of  Adele  corroborates  yours  ; 
you  acted  in  self-defence ;  and  though  I  think  you 
might,  by  prudence,  have  avoided  the  tragic  quarrel,  I 
take  pleasure  in  adding,  that  I  am  empowered,  by 
the  verdict  of  twelve  of  our  party,  to  discharge  you 
from  custody." 

"  Will  the  man  die?"  inquired  I. 

"  The  wound,  which  is  in  the  right  breast,  is  thought 
to  be  mortal." 

"  Then  God  arrests  me,  and  takes  the  case  to  the 
High  Court  of  Eternity  1"  I  groaned,  feeling  most 
deeply  the  pangs  of  remorse  and  despair. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ADELE    AND     MYSTERY. 

I  HAVE,  in  the  course  of  my  adventurous  life,  passed 
through  many  trying  scenes — scenes  of  horror,  scenes 
of  peril,  and  scenes  of  acute  physical  and  mental 
suffering ;  but  I  do  not  think  I  have  ever  experienced 
more  real  soul -torture  in  the  same  time,  than  during 
the  first  two  hours  succeeding  the  announcement  of 
the  venerable  Captain  Hillyard,  that  Gaspard  Loyola 
had  received  from  my  hands  what  was  supposed  to 
be  a  mortal  wound.  It  was  in  vain  that  persons  of 
both  sexes  gathered  around,  and  strove  to  console  me, 


140  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

by  declaring  that  I  was  not  to  blame — that  the  act 
was  one  of  self-defence — and  that  I  must  have  been, 
more  than  human,  or  an  arrant  coward;  to  have  done 
otherwise  than  I  did.  I  knew  in  my  own  heart  that 
I  could  have  avoided  taking  a  fellow-creature's  life  ; 
that  I  could  have  borne  an  insult,  and  walked  quietly 
away  from  the  insulter;  and  my  conscience  con 
demned  me  for  allowing  my  passions  and  impulses  to 
prevail  over  my  reason,  judgment,  and  education.  I 
had  begun  my  career  of  manhood  by  deliberately 
thwarting  the  wishes  of  my  father — and  here  was  one 
early  and  awful  result  of  the  first  wrong  step.  I  had 
been  brought  up  to  regard  the  life  of  man  as  the  gift 
of  God,  which  no  human  being  had  aright  to  destroy; 
I  had  not  yet  been  long  enough  beyond  the  reach  of 
law  to  have  my  keen  sensibilities  dulled ;  and  conse 
quently  I  felt  that  the  deed  I  had  done,  however  justi 
fiable  in  the  eyes  of  man,  was  a  heinous  sin  in  the 
sight  of  Him  who  had  given  the  stern  decree,  amid 
the  smoke,  the  lightnings,  and  the  thunders  of  Mount 
Sinai—"  Thou  shalt  not  kill  /" 

For  two  hours,  I  say,  I  sat  buried  in  the  most 
intense  agony  of  mind — with  remorse  and  despair, 
like  an  incubus,  upon  my  heart — the  most  wretched 
of  all -wretched  beings — when  word  was  brought  me 
that  the  ball  had  been  extracted  from  the  breast  of 
Loyola,  and  that,  though  dangerous,  the  wound  was 
thought  not  necessarily  mortal.  The  parched  traveller 
in  the  desert,  when  his  eye  falls  upon  the  cool  waters 
of  a  spring ;  the  lost  mariner,  drifting  for  days  on  the 


A  DELE    AND    MYSTERY.  141 

great  deep,  when  lie  finds  himself  discovered  by  a 
friendly  sail ;  or  the  drowning  man,  when  he  beholds 
a  rope  within  his  grasp ;  leaps  not  more  suddenly 
from  despair  to  hope — from  misery  to  joy — than  did 
I  at  this  unexpected  announcement. 

"  Great  God,  let  him  live  I"  was  my  first  ejaculation ; 
and  if  ever  a  sincere  prayer  came  from  the  heart,  that 
came  from  mine.  "  Can  I  be  permitted  to  see  him?" 
I  inquired. 

There  was  some  consultation  among  three  or  four 
leading  members  of  the  party,  and  then  I  was  an 
swered  in  the  affirmative.  I  hastened  to  the  wounded 
man,  and  found  him  lying  upon  his  back,  on  a  rude 
bed,  in  his  own  wagon,  his  eyes  closed,  his  face  pale 
from  loss  of  blood,  and  his  respiration  somewhat 
difficult  and  irregular.  By  his  side  knelt  the  beautiful 
Adele,  with  a  green  bush  in  her  hand,  which  she  was 
slowly  waving  to  and  fro,  to  keep  off  the  musquitoes, 
and  other  night  insects,  which  had  already,  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  become  very  troublesome.  I  saw 
them  both  by  the  light  of  a  glass  lantern,  which 
depended  from  one  of  the  ribs  of  the  covered  vehicle ; 
and  its  pale  gleams,  falling  upon  their  pale  faces,  and 
upon  the  rough,  uncouth  surroundings,  and  only  faintly 
revealing  the  sober  features  of  others  peering  in  at 
the  opposite  end,  presented  a  picture  of  death-like 
solemnity,  which  haunted  me  for  days,  and  even  now 
rises  vividly  before  the  eye  of  the  mind.  I  drew  back 
with  a  shudder,  and  addressed  myself  to  a  person 
standing  near. 


142  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Can  I  be  permitted  to  speak  a  word  with  the 
daughter  of  Loyola  ?"  I  inquired. 

"  I  think  so ;  but  do  not  speak  too  loud,  for  I  reckon 
Loyola  is  asleep." 

"  No !  not  there,  my  friend  :  do  me  the  favor  to  ask 
her  to  step  outside." 

He  did  as  I  requested;  and  getting  some  one  to 
take  her  place,  Adele  descended  from  the  wagon. 

"This  way!"  said  I,  in  a  tremulous  voice:  "let  us 
step  aside !  I  wish  to  speak  a  few  words  with  you 
privately." 

She  seemed  not  a  little  agitated ;  but  silently,  and 
with  downcast  eyes,  complied  with  my  request.  I 
led  her  toward  the  centre  of  the  camp,  that  she  might 
have  no  fear;  and  the  moment  I  thought  we  could 
converse  without  being  overheard,  I  stopped,  and 
gently  taking  her  hand,  said : 

"Adele — for  so  I  understand  you  are  called — this 
is  a  terrible  affair  to  both  of  us ;  and  no  one  can  know 
what  agonies  I  have  suffered,  in  consequence,  during 
the  last  two  hours;  and  yet,  properly  considered,  I 
know  not  that  I  am  to  blame.  I  did  not  come  here 
with  the  intention  of  quarreling,  but  because  I  had 
lost  my  way ;  you  yourself  were  the  first  with  whom 
I  spoke ;  and  God  knows,  Adele,  I  had  anything  but 
a  wicked  design  in  my  heart  at  that  moment.  Your 
singular  beauty — nay,  start  not,  and  think  I  am  pass 
ing  unmeaning  compliments,  for  my  soul  is  too  heavy 
to  deal  in  frivolities ! — your  singular  beauty,  I  say, 
united,  as  it  is,  with  a  melancholy  expression  of  sor- 


ADELE    AND    MYSTERY.  143 

row,  demanding  sympathy,  arrested  my  attention,  and 
attracted  me  to  your  side;  and  what  followed  you 
know.  My  life  was  menaced ;  and,  but  for  your  inter 
position,  would  undoubtedly  have  been  taken.  I  saw 
you  foully  struck  to  the  earth ;  I  knew  that  blow  was 
given  on  my  account ;  and  excited  to  that  point  where 
reason  is  lost  in  frenzy,  I  darted  forward  and  shot 
down  the  aggressor.  Can  you  forgive  me  for  an  act 
done  as  much  upon  your  account  as  my  own,  Adele?" 

She  drooped  her  head,  and  sobbingly  replied : 

U0h,  yes,  I  forgive  you — because,  as  you  say,  you 
did  not  intend  anything  wrong  when  you  came  and 
spoke  to  me ;  and  my  father — God  and  the  Saints  for 
give  him  also! — forced  you  to  quarrel,  and  would 
certainly  have  killed  you,  in  his  rage,  had  you  not 
disabled  him.  He  is  a  very  passionate  man,  sir ;  and 
when  he  has  been  drinking  freely,  as  he  had  to-day, 
is  very  much  disposed  to  quarrel,  even  with  his 
friends ;  but  I  trust  you  will  forgive  him,  too,  sir !" 

The  voice  of  the  fair  speaker  was  low  and  silvery, 
and  had  a  melancholy  sweetness  which  touched  my 
heart.  Her  accent  was  slightly  foreign ;  but  she 
spoke  my  native  language  with  an  ease  and  fluency 
that  argued  a  long  familiarity  with  it ;  and,  from 
various  causes,  I  found  myself  most  deeply  interested 
in  her  and  her  hard  fortune. 

"For  your  sake,  Adele,"  I  replied,  "I  will  and  do 
forgive  him — though  through  hirn  I  have  been  led  to 
the  commission  of  a  deed  which  may  render  the  rest 
of  my  life  unhappy ;  for  should  he  die,  the  awful  re- 


144  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

membrance,  that  my  hand  had  sent  a  fellow-being  to 
eternity,  would  ever  haunt  me." 

"And  should  he  recover/' rejoined  my  fair  compan 
ion,  with  a  shudder,  "  I  hope  and  pray  you  may  never 
meet  again !  for  if  he  found  the  opportunity,  he  would 
certainly  take  your  life." 

"  Is  he  then  so  revengeful  ?" 

"  Alas!  yes  :  he  never  forgives  any  one  that  he  has 
ever  looked  upon  as  an  enemy." 

"  And  is  it  possible  that  he  can  be  your  father  ? 
that  the  blood  of  a  man  of  such  vindictive  passions 
flows  in  the  veins  of  one  so  fair  and  pure,  forgiving 
and  gentle,  as  yourself?" 

"  Keally,"  said  Adele,  with  some  agitation,  with 
drawing  her  hand — which  till  this  moment  had,  with 
seeming  unconsciousness  on  her  part,  rested  in  mine : 
"  Keally,  I  must  go  back  !  I  am  afraid  he  will  wake 
and  ask  for  me ;  and  then  he  will  get  excited,  seeing 
others  about,  and  excitement  now  might  prove  fatal 
to  him." 

"  You  must  not  go  yet  1"  said  I,  detaining  her. 
"  Stay  a  few  minutes  longer,  I  pray  you !  I  am  about 
to  leave  you,  and  may  never  see  you  again ;  and  I 
would  like  very  much  to  have  you  answer  me  a  few 
questions." 

"  Are  you  going  away  to-night  ?"  she  timidly  in 
quired,  but  in  a  tone  that  indicated  surprise ;  and 
looking  up  as  she  spoke,  I  saw,  by  a  gleam  of  fire 
light  that  fell  upon  her  pale  face,  that  a  deeper  shade 


ADELE    AND    MYSTERY.  145 

of  sorrow  rested  upon  it,  and  that  her  dark,  dreamy 
eyes  were  swimming  in  tears. 

"  I  must  leave  to-night,  Adele,  or  very  early  in  the 
morning,  to  search  for  my  friends." 

And  then,  in  as  few  words  as  I  could,  I  told  her  who 
I  was,  and  what  chance,  accident,  or  Providence,  had 
brought  me  to  the  camp.  She  listened  attentively, 
earnestly,  sadly. 

"  And  now,"  continued  I,  "  will  you  not  so  far  con 
fide  in  me,  as  to  say  whether  or  not  Gaspard  Loyola 
is  your  father  ?" 

"  Why  do  you  ask  ?"  she  said,  quickly. 

"  Because  I  take  more  than  a  passing  interest  in 
you,  and  much  desire  to  know  something  of  your 
history ;  and  because,  as  I  said  before,  I  cannot  bring 
myself  to  believe  that  his  blood  flows  in  your  veins." 

"  Weil,"  sighed  Adele,  "  I  do  not  know.  I  have 
been  told  that  he  is  my  father,  and  I  have  been  told 
that  he  is  not." 

"If  there  is  any  doubt,  Adele,  in  the  name  of 
humanity,  give  it  for  the  negative — do  not  consider 
such  a  brutal  wretch  the  author  of  your  existence  I 
Excuse  me  for  speaking  plainly  and  boldly  I  I  saw 
him  strike  you  to  the  earth,  with  the  blow  of  a  cow 
ardly  ruffian,  when  your  only  offence  was  an  attempt 
to  withhold  him  from  the  commission  of  murder ;  and 
it  was  that  brutal  act,  I  think,  rather  than  fear  for  my 
own  safety,  that  impulsively  urged  me  on  to  a  deed 
which  I  have  since  repented  of  in  the  deepest  agonies 
of  remorse  and  despair.  But  mark  you !  I  had  no 


146  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

sympathy  for  him;  nor  have  I  now — strange  and 
anomalous  as  it  may  seem;  my  contrition  was  for 
having  shot  down,  and  probably  killed,  a  fellow-being, 
when  I  might  either  have  avoided  the  quarrel,  or  beat 
him  down,  and  severely  punished  him,  without  taking 
life.  If  God  spares  him,  I  shall  not  regret  being  the 
cause. of  his  retributive  sufferings;  and  though,  for 
your  sake,  and  on  account  of  those  sufferings,  I  will 
pardon  his  design  upon  my  life,  yet  my  sympathies 
will  be  with  you  only.  Do  you  understand  me  ?" 

"  I  think  I  do,  sir !"  she  timidly  replied,  casting 
down  her  eyes. 

"So  far  as  you  are  concerned,  mark  me — in  so 
much  as  his  sufferings  may  cause  you  pain — shall  I 
sympathize — no  more.  I  would  have  him  live ;  but 
live  to  repentance ;  live  to  know  and  feel  that  life  is 
not  given  for  the  mere  gratification  of  hellish  desires 
and  passions;  not  given  to  the  strong  to  be  used 
against  the  weak ;  not  given  for  the  purpose  of  making 
all  around  him  miserable.  And  now  tell  me,  Adele, 
can  I  be  of  any  service  to  you  ?  I  have  been  the  un 
fortunate  cause  of  bringing  fresh  trouble  upon  one 
who  has  seen  much  sorrow ;  and  if  I  can  in  any  man 
ner  serve  you,  I  am  in  honor  and  duty  bound  to  do 
so." 

"I  thank  you,  for  your  kind  offer!"  half  sobbed 
the  afflicted  girl ;  "  but  I  do  not  know  of  anything 
you  can  do  for  me." 

"I  pray  you  to  have  no  hesitation  in  answering 
frankly;  for  though  I  am  a  stranger,  whose  brief 


ADELE    AND    MYSTEKY.  147 

acquaintance  you  have  made  under  circumstances  the 
most  painful,  not  to  say  horrible — under  circumstances 
rather  calculated  to  excite  your  antipathy  than  regard 
— yet  I  solemnly  assure  you,  I  would  peril  my  life  to 
do  you  a  favor." 

Adele  burst  into  tears,  but  made  no  reply. 

"Why  do  you  weep?"  I  said,  taking  her  hand 
again,  and  impulsively  drawing .  her  to  me.  "  There 
is  something  you  wish  to  tell  me.  Speak  out,  I  pray 
you!" 

But  she  only  wept  and  sobbed  the  more. 

"Adele,"  I  continued,  "you  are  young;  I  am 
several  years  your  senior;  do  not  be  afraid  to  confide 
in  me ;  speak  as  to  a  brother ;  and  I  solemnly  assure 
you,  you  shall  not  find  your  confidence  misplaced! 
Tell  me,  Adele — why  do  you  weep  ?" 

"  Because,"  she  sobbed,  "  you  speak  so  kindly  to 
me — so  like  a  true  friend ;  and  I  am  not  used  to  kind 
ness  ;  and  I  never  had  a  friend — or  if  I  ever  had,  it 
was  a  long,  long  time  ago." 

"  Poor  girl !"  said  I ;  "no  wonder  your  features  are 
stamped  with  sorrow !  But  you  shall  not  want  a  friend 
again,  while  I  live  and  have  the  power  to  serve  you. 
Let  me  be  your  brother  !  Will  you  let  me  be  your 
brother,  Adele  ?" 

"  Oh,  no !  I  dare  not  I  my  father  would  kill  us 
both!"  she  said,  wringing  her  hands.  "He  does  not 
allow  me  to  speak  to  any  one  but  himself;  and  it  was 
because  you  came  and  spoke  to  me,  that  he  became  so 
angry  with  you." 


148  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"But  you  need  not  fear  him  now,  Adele,"  I  said, 
with  something  like  secret  exultation — for  the  more  I 
learned  of  the  base  character  of  Loyola,  the  less  I  re 
gretted  my  hasty  deel :  "you  need  not  fear  him  now; 
it  will  be  a  long  time,  should  he  eventually  recover, 
before  he  will  regain  sufficient  strength  to  interfere 
with  us,  or  again  misuse  you ;  and  should  he  ever  at 
tempt  the  latter  again,  in  my  presence,  he  must  again 
abide  the  consequences  I" 

"  Oh  I  you  do  not  know  him !"  cried  Adele :  "  and 
you  must  avoid  him ;  for  should  he  recover,  and  ever 
see  you  again,  he  would  find  some  way  to  take  your 
life !  But  you  said  you  were  going  away !" 

"  True,  so  I  am.  I  have  a  friend,  who  is  even  now 
miserable  because  of  my  absence ;  and  I  must  find 
him  as  soon  as  I  can ;  but  the  party  to  which  I  belong 
cannot  be  far  from  yours ;  and  as  you  will  necessarily 
travel  slow,  on  account  of  this  dark  man,  whom  you 
call  your  father,  I  shall  endeavor  to  overtake  you. 
Will  you  permit  me  to  be  your  brother,  and  befriend 
you  as  a  brother  should  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know  ;  I  am  afraid  ;  and  yet  I  have  often 
wished  I  had  a  brother,"  she  sighed. 

"  Say  no  more  then — it  is  settled  ;  have  no  fear  ;  I 
will  be  prudent ;  but  I  must  see  you,  for  I  feel  myself 
drawn  to  you  in  an  unaccountable  manner.  And 
now,  before  we  part,  will  you  not  confide  in  me,  and 
tell  me  what  you  know  of  your  history  ?" 

"  What  shall  I  tell   you  ?"  she  inquired,  with  a 


ADELE    AND    MYSTEKY.  149 

startled  air,  looking  cautiously  around,  as  if  fearful 
of  a  harsh  interruption. 

"  Tell  me  what  you  remember  of  your  history, 
Adele  I  Tell  me  where  you  were  born ;  what  has 
become  of  your  mother ;  how  long  you  have  known 
this  man  you  call  father  ;  how  you  became  separated 
from  your  friends ;  and  how  long  you  have  been 
engaged  in  this  hard,  perilous  life,  so  unsuited  to  one 
of  your  years  and  delicate  organization  I" 

"  I  could  not  answer  all  your  questions  if  I  would,'* 
she  replied;  "and  even  those  I  can  answer,  would 
take  more  time  than  can  now  be  spared ;  and  besides, 
I  am  afraid  to  tell  what  little  I  do  know." 

"  Fear  not,  my  poor  Adele!  I  will  protect  you  ; 
and  if  wrong  has  been  done  you,  as  I  have  reason  to 
believe,  I  will  see  you  righted,  or  perish  in  the 
attempt.  There  is  something  mysterious  in  your  past 
history,  I  feel  assured — is  it  not  so  ?" 

"Yes!  yes!"  she  answered,  quickly;  "there  is 
something  mysterious  in  my  past  life ;  I  do  not  my 
self  understand  it ;  but " 

"  Speak,  I  pray  you!"  I  urged,  as  she  hesitated ; 
"  tell  me  all  you  know  ;  and,  rely  upon  it,  you  are 
confiding  in  a  friend,  who  will  not  only  keep  your 
secret  sacred,  but  will,  so  far  as  lies  in  his  power, 
guard  you  from  further  oppression  and  wrong. 
Where  were  you  born  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know,  sir !" 

"  Did  no  one  ever  tell  you  ?" 

"  Not  that  I  remember,  sir  1" 


150  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  "What  are  your  earliest  recollections?" 

"  I  have  a  confused  recollection — it  is  like  a  dream 
— of  being  in  a  place  of  splendor,  where  there  were 
a  great  many  persons  coming  and  going,  and  where 
kind  words  were  always  spoken  to  me." 

"Do  you  refer  to  a  dwelling,  or  a  city?" 

"  I  think  it  must  have  been  a  dwelling — and  it 
might  have  been  in  a  city — but  I  do  not  know.  I 
remember  walking  over  a  marble  floor,  and  seeing 
beautiful  flowers,  and  fountains,  and  paintings ;  and 
one,  more  than  all  the  rest,  dear,  sweet  face,  which  I 
think  was  my  mother's ;  but  all  the  rest  is  confused, 
and  perhaps  it  was  all  a  dream." 

"I  think  not,"  said  I,  most  deeply  interested: 
"  Children,  too  young  to  distinguish  the  real  from  the 
ideal,  are  not  apt  to  dream  of  such  realities  and 
retain  the  impression  for  years.  Does  your  memory 
connect  this  place  with  a  southern  climate?" 

"  I  have  no  recollection  concerning  the  climate,  sir !" 

"  Have  you  any  remembrance  of  feeling  cold  there  ? 
of  seeing  any  thing  like  snow?" 

*'  Oh,  no,  sir !  it  seems  as  if  it  were  summer-time ;  for 
the  trees  were  always  green,  and  the  flowers  were 
always  bright — at  least  I  cannot  recall  them  as  being 
otherwise." 

"And  do  you  remember  leaving  this  beautiful 
place?" 

"  No,  sir  !  I  have  often  tried  to  do  so,  but  I  cannot; 
and  that  leads  me  to  think  it  might  have  been  a  dream." 

"  Well,  what  next  do  you  remember  ?" 


A  DELE    AND    MYSTERY.  151 

"  Something  dark  and  awful  1"  said  Adele,  with  a 
perceptible  shudder.  "It  seems  as  if  I  were  in  a 
dark  place,  like  a  prison,  and  was  rolling  about,  and 
felt  very  sick,  and  heard  the  roar  of  winds  and  the 
rush  of  waters." 

"  For  how  long  a  time  were  you  in  this  dark  and 
awful  place  ?" 

"I  do  not  know,  sir !  but  it  seems  as  if  it  were  a 
long  time." 

"Does  it  seem  as  if  you  were  in  a  ship  on  the 
ocean  ?" 

"I  cannot  say :  I  only  remember  what  I  have  told 
you." 

""Well,  what  is  your  next  impression,  or  recollec- 
lion?" 

"I  remember  being  in  a  convent,  and  having  cer 
tain  lessons  to  recite  to  a  tall,  stern,  austere  woman ; 
and  likewise  having  a  good  many  religious  duties  to 
perform.  I  learned  to  read  and  write  there,  in  Spanish, 
Latin  and  English." 

"  Which  language  did  you.  use  in  common  conver 
sation  ?" 

"  Oh,  the  Spanish." 

"Was  that  your  native  language?" 

"  I  think  so." 

"  How  long  did  you  remain  at  this  convent  ?" 

"  'Till  I  was  ten  years  of  age." 

"  And  what  were  you  called  while  there  ?" 

"Adele." 


152  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  And  did  no  one  tell  you  anything  of  your  his 
tory?" 

"  No,  sir !  I  one  day  inquired  of  the  abbess  who  I 
was ;  but  she  only  frowned,  and  said  she  knew  nothing 
of  worldly  affairs ;  and  that  it  mattered  not  who  I  was, 
so  I  conducted  myself  properly." 

"  Well,  you  were  in  the  convent,  you  say,  till  you 
were  ten  years  of  age — how  came  you  to  leave  ?" 

"  My  father  came  and  took  me  away." 

"  Had  you  ever  seen  him  before  that  time  ?" 

"  I  did  not  remember  his  face." 

"  How  did  you  know  he  was  your  father  ?" 

"  He  and  the  abbess  both  said  so." 

"And  was  he  the  same  person  now  in  yonder 
wagon?" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  you  said,  a  few  minutes  since,  you  had 
been  told  he  is  not  your  father — who  told  you  so  ?" 

"  Sister  Agnes — one  of  the  nuns." 

"Did  she  know  anything  of  him?  or  of  your  his 
tory?" 

"  No !  but  she  saw  him  at  the  convent,  and  heard 
the  abbess  speak  of  him  as  my  father  ;  and  she  said 
to  me,  before  I  left,  that  she  knew  he  could  not  be  my 
father,  for  there  was  no  resemblance  between  us ;  and 
that  one  like  myself  could  never  have  had  being  from 
so  dark  and  wicked-looking  a  man  I" 

"  And  depend  upon  it,  my  poor  Adele,  Sister  Agnes 
was  right!"  said  I.  "Nature  could  not  so  falsify,  as 


ADELE    AND    MYSTERY.  153 

to  produce,  from  such  a  cause,  such  an  effect — so  totally 
at  variance,  in  person,  mind,  and  innate  principle." 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Adele,  again  looking  hurriedly 
around — ' '  I  must  go !  I  must  not  remain  here  another 
moment.  Suppose  he  should  wake,  and  find  me 
absent  ?  and  suppose  any  one  should  inform  him  of 
my  interview  with  you,  here,  alone  ?  He  might,  in  a 
moment  of  passion,  do  me  a  serious  injury!" 

"  He  shall  not,"  said  I ;  "for  I  am  going  to  take 
your  case  in  hand :  you  shall  not  remain  with  him  to 
be  maltreated  1" 

"  Oh,  sirl  I  could  not  leave  himl" 

"  Why  not  ?  You  do  not,  you  cannot,  have  any 
regard  for  him  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know ;  perhaps  he  is  my  father ;  he  says 
he  is." 

"  And  even  grant  that  he  is — he  has  sundered  every 
tie,  human  and  divine,  that  should  bind  a  child  to  a 
parent.  You  do  not  feel  any  affection  for  him,  do 
you,  Adele  ?" 

"Sometimes,  sir,  I  think  I  do,  when  he  speaks 
pleasantly  to  me." 

"  That  is  not  properly  affection,  my  poor  Adele ; 
but  is  rather  a  grateful  sense,  arising  from  the  absence 
of  fear.  You  know  that  you  are  in  his  power — that 
he  is  generally  harsh  and  cruel ;  you  fear  him  in  con 
sequence  ;  and  when,  for  a  time,  he  gives  you  cause 
not  to  fear  him,  you  feel  so  grateful,  that  it  seems  as 
if  you  almost  loved  him :  is  it  not  so  ?" 

"  I  think,  perhaps,  that  is  it,  sir !"  she  replied. 


154  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  It  is  your  nature  to  love,  Adele ;  your  heart  is 
warm ;  you  feel  the  want  of  that  iron  strength  and 
will  which  can  give  adversity  strong  battle  ;  and,  like 
the  tender,  drooping  vine,  you  must  needs  twine 
around  the  hardy,  storm-enduring  oak  for  support. 
It  has  never  been  my  fortune  to  meet  another  of  so 
sweet,  so  gentle,  so  loving,  so  forbearing,  and  so  for 
giving  a  disposition  as  yourself.  Nay,  do  not  think  I 
am  paying  unmeaning  compliments  for  an  evil  pur 
pose  ;  I  mean  what  I  say ;  and  what  I  say,  I  know  to 
be  true ;  for  it  is  all  stamped  on  your  soul,  and  your 
soul  is  seen  in  your  face.  Your  countenance  is  an 
open  book,  easily  read  by  one  who  has  made  human 
nature  a  study.  But  time  is  precious,  and  I  would 
know  more  of  your  history.  What  was  the  name  of 
the  convent  where  you  received  your  education  ?" 

"Santa  Maria." 

"  Where  was  it  located  ?" 

"  I  am  not  certain  about  the  location,  but  I  think  it 
was  in  the  interior  of  Mexico." 

"  And  where  did  you  go  after  leaving  there  ?" 

Just  at  this  moment  a  voice  called  Adele. 

"  There !"  she  exclaimed,  hurriedly,  and  in  a  tone 
of  alarm ;  "  I  feared  it  would  be  so ;  he  has  awakened ; 
good-bye !"  and  she  darted  away  to  the  wagon. 

I  followed  more  leisurely,  and  cautiously  looked  in 
at  one  end  of  the  vehicle,  keeping  my  features  in  the 
shade,  so  that  1  might  not  be  seen  and  recognised  by 
Loyola,  who  was  not  only  awake,  but  giving  evidence 
of  some  strength,  and  a  devilish  disposition,  by  scold- 


ADELE    AND    MYSTERY.  155 

ing  Adele  in  Spanish.  I  could  not  understand  what 
he  said;  but  the  tone  in  which  he  spoke,  and  the 
manner  of  the  poor  girl,  who  was  trembling  and 
weeping,  were  enough  to  assure  me  that  he  was  playing 
the  base  tyrant,  and  wounding  her  gentle,  sensitive 
soul,  by  using  harsh  and  vicious  language.  He  was 
lying  upon  his  left  side,  his  head  supported  by  his  left 
hand,  while  his  right  clasped  and  pressed  the  bandage 
over  the  wound.  I  could  just  dimly  see  his  features — 
dark,  scowling,  and  malignant — the  muscles  contort 
ing  with  anger  and  pain — the  black,  beetling  brows 
knitted,  and  the  small,  black,  sunken  eyes  emitting 
gleams  of  malice;  and  I  thought  that  Satan,  if  not 
more  wicked  than  he  has  been  represented,  might 
have  had  his  likeness  taken  by  proxy.  Adele,  as  I 
have  said,  who  was  crouching,  trembling  and  weeping 
by  his  side,  suddenly  hastened,  as  if  by  an  order,  to 
hand  him  a  cup  of  water  from  a  bucket  near ;  and  no 
sooner  had  he  drank,  than  the  cup  was  hurled  at  her 
head,  barely  missing  it  by  an  inch. 

I  could  bear  to  see  no  more ;  I  dared  not  longer 
trust  myself  in  such  a  presence;  and  I  quietly  has 
tened  away — feeling,  after  what  I  had  just  witnessed, 
that  my  conscience  would  no  longer  condemn  me, 
even  should  my  deed  result  in  ridding  the  world  of  a 
demon  incarnate. 


166  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

RETURN  TO   CAMP. 

THE  camp  had  now  become  comparatively  still, 
tlie  different  fires  were  gradually  dying  out,  and  most 
of  the  tired  wayfarers  had  retired  to  rest,  some  under 
cover  of  the  different  wagons,  and  many  in  the  open 
air,  with  only  a  blanket  spread  on  the  earth  for  a  bed, 
and  a  stone,  a  log,  a  saddle,  or  whatever  was  at  hand, 
for  a  pillow.  A  few  were  still  strolling  about  outside 
of  the  wagons,  keeping  watch  over  the  horses,  mules 
and  cattle,  which  were  getting  their  fill  of  the  luxu 
riant  grass  along  the  little  valley  of  the  rippling 
stream,  and  which  were  soon  to  be  driven  in  and  pick 
eted  close  around  the  camp.  The  night  was  warm 
and  close,  with  scarcely  a  breath  of  air  stirring ;  and 
though  cloudless  overhead,  a  thin  haze,  gradually 
thickening  with  vapors  rising  from  the  earth,  permit 
ted  only  the  brighter  stars  to  be  dimly  visible,  and 
betokened  the  final  eclipse  of  all. 

Among  those  still  astir,  I  found  Mr.  Phillips.  He 
was  sitting,  a  la  Turque,  on  the  ground,  by  his  wagon, 
smoking  his  pipe,  and  repairing  some  portion  of  a 
harness  by  the  light  of  a  lantern.  As  I  had  had  little 
conversation  with  any  one  save  Adele,  owing  to  my 
depressed  state  of  mind  after  shooting  Loyola,  I  now 
approached  him,  for  the  purpose  of  making  some  im 
portant  inquiries. 


RETURN    TO    CAMP.  157 

"  Well,  my  friend,"  he  said,  in  a  kindly  tone,  look 
ing  up  from  his  work  as  I  drew  near — "how  is  it 
with  you  now?" 

"  I  feel  much  better,  I  thank  you  1"  was  my  reply. 
"  I  have  had  some  conversation  with  Adele,  of  an 
important  nature,  and  have  just  come  from  looking 
in  upon  the  wounded  ruffian — for  I  cannot  call  him, 
after  what  I  have  just  witnessed,  by  any  gentler  term. 
If  it  be  true,  as  some  physicians  assert,  that  ill-temper 
is  a  sign  the  invalid  is  in  no  immediate  danger  of 
dying,  then  I  think  his  life  might  be  insured  at  a  very 
small  per  centage." 

"  You  found  him  savage,  did  you?" 

"  Yes,  savage  is  a  very  good  term  ;  unless,  in  ap 
plying  it  to  him,  it  scandalizes  the  natives  of  this 
region ;"  and  I  proceeded  to  give  an  account  of  his 
late  brutal  treatment  of  Adele. 

"Poor  girl!"  said  Phillips,  sympathetically;  "I 
wish  she  were  beyond  his  reach  !" 

"  How  is  it,"  I  inquired,  "that  you  permit  such  a 
brute  of  a  man  to  travel  in  such  respectable  company  ? 
for  all  the  rest  of  you,  that  I  have  seen,  appear  to  have 
human  feelings." 

"  Why,  the  fact  is,"  answered  Phillips,  "  though  we 
travel  together,  for  mutual  protection  against  our  com 
mon  enemy,  the  Indians,  we  are  all  separate  traders, 
each  man  owning  his  team  and  freight,  which  he  dis 
poses  of  to  please  himself.  I  say  all ;  but  I  should 
except  some  four  or  five  families,  now  going  out  to 
Santa  Fe  with  us,  for  permanent  settlement.  I  am 


158  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

one  that  have  been  in  this  line  of  trade  for  a  couple 
of  years.  About  a  year  ago,  this  Loyola,  whom  we 
first  saw  in  San  Miguel,  begged  the  privilege  of  being 
allowed  to  join  us.  Some  objected ;  but  on  a  vote 
being  taken,  the  decision  was  in  his  favor.  He 
brought  this  girl,  whom  he  calls  his  daughter,  with 
him ;  and  with  the  exception  of  sometimes  treating 
her  rather  harshly,  and  being,  now  and  then,  especi 
ally  when  he  has  been  drinking,  sullen,  savage,  and 
quarrelsome,  he  has  behaved  himself  pretty  well,  and 
kept  within  the  rules  and  regulations  by  which  we 
are  governed.  With  a  man's  private  affairs,  if  he 
does  not  intrude  upon  and  disturb  his  neighbors,  our 
general  law  has  nothing  to  do — our  motto  being, 
'  each  one  mind  his  own  business ;'  and  though  few 
of  us  like  Loyola  as  a  man — and  all  of  us  more  or 
less  pity  the  poor  girl,  who  is  kept  under  the  most 
savage  restraint,  not  being  permitted  to  speak  to  any 
one  without  the  consent  of  her  father — yet,  according 
to  the  code  which  binds  us  together,  no  one  has  a 
right  to  interfere  in  his  domestic  matters." 

"And  does  not  common  humanity  authorize  you 
to  interfere,  when  a  poor,  innocent  girl  is  the  re 
cipient  of  a  ruffian's  blows?"  inquired  I,  with  some 
asperity. 

"  I  never  knew  him  to  strike  and  knock  her  down 
before  to-night,  and  I  think  you  will  admit  he  is  pretty 
well  punished  for  that." 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  "and  I  am  now  inclined  to  believe 
he  got  no  more  than  he  deserved." 


HE  TURN    TO    CAMP.  159 

"  So  I  have  heard  several  say  already.  If  you  had 
not  punished  him  severely,  Mr.  Rivers,  you  may  rest 
assured  he  would  have  met  the  proper  chastisement 
from  other  quarters,  and  that  is  why  your  act  is 
viewed  so  leniently.  If  he  recovers,  he  will  have  to 
carry  himself  pretty  straight  hereafter,  or  he  will  find 
himself  expelled  from  the  company.  Even  as  it  is,  I 
have  heard  several  declare,  that  if  he  is  to  be  per 
mitted  to  travel  with  us,  they  will  withdraw.  I  do 
not  know  how  it  will  be.  With  the  exception  men 
tioned,  Loyola  is  not  a  bad  travelling  companion. 
He  has  his  good  points.  He  never  meddles  with  his 
neighbors'  affairs,  and  a  better  Indian  fighter  it  would 
be  hard  to  find.  Last  winter,  when  we  were  attacked 
by  the  Camanches,  he  fought  like  a  hero ;  and  with 
rifle,  pistols,  and  knife,  killed  four,  and  wounded  two 
more,  besides  chasing  the  others,  when  they  fled, 
further  than  any  other  white  man  dared  to  venture." 

"  I  should  suppose  he  would  make  a  good  fighter," 
said  I,  uand  good  Indian  fighters  are  valuable.  Do 
you  know  anything  of  his  history  ?" 

"  Nothing — he  is  not  communicative." 

"  Is  the  girl,  Adele,  generally  supposed  to  be  his 
daughter  ?" 

"  We  know  nothing  to  the  contrary — though  I 
have  heard  many  express  their  doubts." 

"  And  rightly,  I  judge.  At  all  events,  as  I  have 
taken  a  deep  interest  in  her,  I  shall  endeavor  to  see 
her  again,  and  make  some  further  inquiries,  whether 


160  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

he  like  it  or  not — that  is,  if  others  of  your  party 
have  no  reasonable  objections." 

"Loyola  will  have  objections,  you  may  rest 
assured  ;  and  you  will  have  to  be  cautious,  or  your 
life  may  be  the  penalty.  I  believe  he  would  shoot 
the  man  who  interferes  in  his  affairs,  as  he  would  a 
dog." 

"  There  are  two  that  can  play  at  that  game,"  said 
I,  "  as  he  already  knows  to  his  cost.  But  I  will  be 
cautious  ;  and  if  others  do  not  intermeddle,  I  think  I 
can  manage  the  matter  very  safely.  And  now,  my 
friend,  give  me  a  candid,  straight-forward  answer. 
Should  I  ascertain  that  Adele  has  been  removed  from 
her  friends — and  I  can,  through  her,  find  any  clue  to 
them,  and  wish  to  restore  her,  with  her  own  consent, 
— do  you  think  any  of  your  party,  save  Loyola  him 
self,  would  object  to  my  taking  her  away  ?" 

"  Why,  if  satisfied  of  your  intentions  being  per 
fectly  honorable — as  I  doubt  not  they  are — I  do  not 
think  any  one  would  ;  because,  should  the  girl  desire 
to  leave,  that  would  be  her  own  business;  but  it 
would  be  better  that  none  of  our  party  rendered 
you  any  assistance ;  for  I  have  seen  enough  of 
Loyola,  to  know  that  he  would  be  a  dangerous  man 
to  tamper  with." 

"  I  will  ask  no  help  beyond  my  own  friends  ;  and 
nothing  shall  be  done  to  compromit  any  of  your 
party ;  and  as  to  my  intentions  toward  the  poor  girl, 
if  I  do  not  mean  her  well,  in  every  respect,  may  my 
tongue  wither,  and  my  eyes  refuse  me  sight  1" 


KETURN    TO    CAMP.  161 

"  I  see  how  it  is !"  rejoined  Phillips,  with  a  smile 
of  meaning ;  "  it  is  already  whispered  about  that  you 
are  in  love  with  the  girl." 

"  Is  it  so  ?"  returned  I,  with  a  start  of  surprise ; 
for  though  I  had  been  drawn  to  Adele  in  an  unac 
countable  manner,  I  had  never  once  thought  of  her 
in  such  a  connection :  "  Then  tell  your  friends  they 
labor  under  a  mistake.  I  never  was  in  love  in  my 
life ;  and  if  I  know  myself,  I  am  not  now ;  but  I 
have  much  sympathy  for  her,  and  I  will  do  her  a 
service  if  I  can — though  my  feelings  are  rather  those 
df  a  brother  than  a  lover.  I  have  just  left  home  to 
see  something  of  the  world  in  the  wilderness,  and  do 
not  intend  to  fall  in  love  for  ten  years  to  come — five, 
at  least." 

"  Say  what  you  will,  Mr.  Kivers,"  returned  Phiilips, 
with  a  pleasant  laugh,  "  you  could  not  convince  the 
women  to  the  contrary — and  they  are  pretty  shrewd 
in  matters  pertaining  to  the  heart.  However,  it  is 
none  of  my  business ;  though  I  venture  to  say,  that 
you  might  fall  in  love  with  a  less  attractive  girl,  judg 
ing  from  the  little  I  have  seen  of  her." 

"  Pray  do  me  the  favor  to  undeceive  your  lady 
friends  in  this  respect,"  said  I.  "  And  yet,"  I  added, 
after  a  moment's  reflection,  "  it  may,  on  the  whole,  be 
best  to  let  them  think  as  they  do." 

"I  think  it  will,"  laughed   Phillips;  "at  least,  I 

am  certain  nothing  I  could  say  would  change  their 

opinion  ;  for  I  have  seen  enough  of  the  sex  to  know, 

that  if  a  woman  has  once  fairly  got  a  crotchet  in  her 

9 


162  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

head,   all   the  reasoning  powers   of  man,  or   angel, 
would  not  be  sufficient  to  drive  it  out." 

I  continued  my  conversation  with  Mr.  Phillips  for 
some  half  an  hour  longer ;  and  I  found  him,  as  I  have 
shown  him,  a  shrewd,  intelligent  man,  with  pleasing 
conversational  powers,  and  an  education  superior  to 
the  majority  of  Western  traders.  He  informed  me 
that  he  was  originally  from  one  of  the  Eastern  States  ; 
that  he  had  been  a  merchant  in  St.  Louis  ;  but  having 
failed  in  business,  he  had  adopted  his  present  mode 
of  life  in  order  to  get  another  start  in  the  world,  and 
liberally  educate  his  two  boys,  both  of  whom  were  now 
at  college.  His  wife,  by  her  own  choice,  accompanied 
him  in  his  hard,  perilous  journeys  back  and  forth 
across  the  plains ;  which  at  times  made  his  travels 
more  pleasant  to  him  ;  and  at  others,  especially  when 
surrounded  by  danger,  caused  him  extreme  anxiety. 
He  said  he  thought  if  he  could  get  safely  through 
another  year,  with  the  same  good  fortune  in  trade 
that  had  hitherto  attended  him,  he  would  be  able 
to  start  again  in  business  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  could 
have  all  the  comforts  of  a  happy  home.  I  wished  him 
success,  with  all  my  heart.  He  dealt  partly  in  dry  goods, 
and  partly  in  teas,  coffee  and  sugar — on  all  of  which 
he  made  enormous  profits — generally  selling  out  at 
Santa  Fe,  and  getting  his  pay  in  cash,  or  furs — which 
latter  were  even  better  than  cash,  because  he  realized 
on  them  a  second  profit  on  his  return  to  the  States. 
Most  of  those  with  him  were  Missourians — each,  like 
himself,  trading  on  his  own  account — and,  like  him- 


RETUKN    TO    CAMP.  163 

self,  most  of  them  at  home  were  men  of  some  stand 
ing. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  at  length,  "  it  is  time  for  us  to  turn 
in,  for  these  hot  days  we  must  start  early.  I  have 
no  tempting  accommodations  to  offer  you  ;  but  I  can 
lend  you  a  blanket,  and  show  you  the  soft  side  of  a 
turf;  and  to  such  accommodations  you  must  get  accus 
tomed,  if  you  continue  your  journey  over  the  prairies." 

"  I  kindly  thank  you  !"  said  I ;  "  but  I  am  still  too 
much  excited  to  sleep  ;  and  I  think  I  will  make 
another  effort  to  find  my  own  camp ;  it  certainly  can 
not  be  far  from  here." 

"  By-the-by,"  he  rejoined,  "  was  your  camp  a  little 
south  of  the  regular  trail  ?" 

"  Yes,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  in  a  very  pleasant 
woodland-bottom,  on  the  bank  of  a  little  stream." 

"  Had  you  a  tent  ?" 

"  Yes  1"  I  returned,  quickly. 

"  Then  we  passed  it  about  half  an  hour  before  sun 
down.  I  saw  the  tent,  and  called  attention  to  it.  It 
is  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  or  two  miles,  east  of  here." 

"  Then  I  can  certainly  find  it,"  said  I,  joyfully ; 
"and  I  must  find  it  to-night ;  for  my  friend  will  not 
sleep  till  I  return  ;  and  one  night's  loss  of  sleep  will 
unfit  him  for  to-morrow's  journey." 

"  Well,  if  you  think  you  had  better  go,  I  will  not 
try  to  detain  you,  for  I  appreciate  your  feelings ;  but 
you  scarcely  tasted  of  your  supper ;  so,  for  fear  of 
accidents,  I  shall  insist  on  your  taking  some  food 
with  you." 


164  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

I  gladly  assented  to  his  proposition,  for  I  now  began 
to  feel  a  very  keen  appetite  ;  and  he  hastened  to  pro 
cure  me  a  large  slice  of  meat,  and  one  entire  corn- 
cake — apologizing,  at  the  same  time,  for  not  having 
anything  better  to  offer  me. 

"  And  now,"  he  said;  giving  my  hand  a  hearty  grip 
and  shake,  "I  will  bid  you  good-bye,  with  the  hope 
that  we  shall  meet  again.  You  will  probably  over 
take  us — for  we  travel  slow  with  teams — and  I  think 
your  heart  and  Adele  will  hasten  the  meeting.  And, 
my  friend,  should  it  chance  that  Loyola  does  not 
recover,  do  not  be  too  much  cast  down  I  You  acted 
on  the  defensive ;  and  there  is  not  one  of  us,  pro 
bably,  that  would  not  have  done  as  you  did  under 
the  circumstances.  If  we  have  any  human  right 
more  than  another,  it  is  the  right  to  protect  our  own 
lives,  by  our  own  strong  arms,  in  this  wild,  lawless 
country ;  and  even  in  the  settlements,  you  could  not 
find  a  jury  that  would  not,  in  your  case,  even  had  the 
man  been  killed  outright,  bring  in  a  verdict  of  justifi 
able  homicide.  Good-bye !" 

"  Good-bye,  and  God  bless  you,  for  proving  your 
self  a  friend  in  need!"  I  replied;  and  I  spoke  in  a 
tremulous  voice,  and  left  him  with  tearful  eyes. 

On  quitting  the  kind-hearted  Phillips,  I  crossed  over 
to  Loyola's  wagon,  to  take  one  parting  look  at  the 
wounded  man,  and  perhaps  speak  another  word  with 
Adele.  While  we  had  been  conversing,  one  after 
another  had  betaken  themselves  to  rest;  and  only 
here  and  there  a  person  could  be  seen  stirring ;  while 


RETURN    TO    CAMP.  165 

all  the  fires  had  gone  out,  or  were  smouldering  in 
their  own  ashes.  I  approached  the  wagon  cautiously, 
and  stealthily,  and  quietly  looked  in.  Loyola  was 
lying  on  his  left  side,  apparently  asleep;  and  poor 
Adele,  sitting  on  a  box,  with  her  back  against  a  bale 
of  goods,  was  nodding  with  drowsiness,  though  evi 
dently  struggling  to  keep  herself  awake,  probably 
because  she  had  been  ordered  to  do  so  by  her  tyran 
nical  master.  I  wished  to  say  a  parting  word  to  her, 
but  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  speak,  and  so  with 
drew  as  stealthily  as  I  came. 

Loyola's  wagon  was  near  the  runlet  or  creek,  which 
was  the  proper  outlet  to  the  camp ;  and  springing 
over  the  tiny  stream,  I  ascended  the  opposite  slope, 
and  once  more  found  myself  upon  the  broad,  beaten 
trail.  Here  I  remembered  I  had  left  my  rifle  at  Phil 
lips'  wagon,  and  went  back  for  it.  He  had  just  re 
turned  from  looking  at  his  animals,  and  was  in  the 
act  of  crawling  into  his  vehicle.  I  exchanged  another 
good-bye  with  him,  and  hastened  away.  Once  more 
over  the  little  stream,  and  upon  the  trail,  I  proceeded 
to  load  my  rifle,  and  then  set  off  eastward  upon  a  run, 
so  anxious  was  I  to  reach  my  camp  and  relieve  the 
distress  of  my  friend. 

The  night  had  now  become  quite  dark.  The  rising 
vapors  had  completely  veiled  the  heavens,  and,  stretch 
ing  along  the  earth,  like  a  cloud,  had  wrapped  a  close 
mantle  around  every  object ;  so  that  the  speed  with 
which  I  had  ventured  to  start,  was  suddenly  checked 
by  an  obstruction,  over  which  I  went  headlong,  but 


166  THE    BORDEK    KOVER. 

fortunately  without  breaking  a  bone,  or  seriously  in 
juring  my  rifle.  On  gathering  myself  up,  I  came  to 
the  conclusion,  that  the  race,  in  this  case,  might  not 
be  to  the  swift ;  and  that  the  slightest  variation  from 
the  trail,  would  be  likely  to  detain  me  from  my  friend 
till  morning,  to  say  nothing  worse ;  so  I  resumed  my 
route  at  a  very  slow  walk,  and  allowed  my  mind  to 
run  over  in  haste  the  events  of  the  day. 

And  a  most  eventful  day  it  had  been  to  me.  I  had 
travelled  twenty  miles  into  a  new  country ;  had  seen 
a  trifle  of  wilderness  life  and  sport ;  had  quarreled 
twice ;  had  been  lost  once  ;  had  three  times  narrowly 
escaped  with  my  life ;  had  shot  a  man,  perhaps  mor 
tally  ;  had  received  a  brief  trial  and  acquittal ;  and 
last,  though  not  least,  had,  according  to  the  opinions 
of  some,  fallen  in  love  with  a  young  and  beautiful 
girl,  whom  I  had  for  the  first  time  beheld  within  the 
last  three  or  four  hours. 

But  was  the  inference,  which  had  been  drawn  from 
my  actions,  a  correct  one  ?  Was  I  in  love  with  Adele 
Loyola  ?  I  did  not  think  so.  True,  I  had  taken  a 
strange  interest  in  her ;  had  felt  peculiar  sensations 
in  her  presence,  which  I  had  never  before  experienced 
in  the  presence  of  one  of  her  sex ;  and  I  still  regarded 
her,  now  that  she  was  absent,  as  one  of  the  brightest 
links  in  the  chain  of  my  existence ;  as  one  whom  I 
was  bound  to  snatch  from  a  tyrannical  master,  and 
to  succor  and  protect ;  but  did  it  follow  that  I  was  in 
love?  Was  the  feeling  I  had  for  her  other  than 
brotherly  sympathy?  other  than  I  might  have  felt 


RETURN    TO    CAMP.  167 

toward  another  similarly  circumstanced  ?  Love ! 
what  was  love  ?  I  knew  nothing  about  it.  I  had 
never  been  in  love  in  my  life.  I  had  always  sup 
posed  it  to  be  the  passionate  desire  of  two  persons,  of 
different  sexes,  to  unite  their  fates  and  fortunes  for 
the  journey  of  life.  Had  I  any  such  desire  with  re 
gard  to  Adele  ?  No !  Had  she  any  such  wish  or 
thought  with  respect  to  myself?  Probably  not.  Did 
I  wish  to  marry  at  all?  and  more  especially  the  object 
of  my  present  solicitude?  No  !  Then  how  could  I  be 
in  love  ?  I  was  not.  It  was  only  mere  fancy  on  the 
part  of  those  who  knew  nothing  of  my  nature. 

Besides,  when  looking  forward  to  an  event  which 
might  possibly  happen  in  the  course  of  my  life,  though 
not  yet  for  years,  I  had  set  up  an  ideal  being  in  my 
mind — an  ideal  which  I  had  never  as  yet  seen  in 
human  form — an  ideal  as  unlike  Adele  Loyola  as  any 
other  of  her  sex.  Then  why  think  of  love  in  con 
nection  with  her  ?  Pshaw  !  what  folly !  Who  was 
she  ?  I  did  not  know  :  she  did  not  know  herself.  I 
was  interested  in  the  mystery,  of  course ;  interested 
in  her  as  an  unfortunate  being  ;  interested  in  serving 
her,  so  far  as  lay  in  my  power  ;  interested  in  seeing  her 
made  happy ;  interested  in  wanting  and  retaining  her 
good  opinion :  but  it  was  the  interest  of  a  brother 
rather  than  a  lover,  or  else  warm  friendship  and 
ardent  passion  had  not  the  marked  distinction  I  had 
always  supposed. 

Thus  I  pondered,  as,  with  slow  pace  and  weary 
limbs  I  pursued  my  course — the  deep  cart-ruts  of 


168  THE     BORDEK    ROVER. 

the  road,  or  trail,  being  sufficient  guide  to  my  steps, 
even  though  I  could  not  perceive  an  object  a  foot 
from  my  eye.  At  length,  on  calculating  time  and 
progress,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  I  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  I  had  advanced  about  far  enough 
eastward  to  be  on  a  line  with  the  camp  of  my  friend ; 
but  as  I  could  see  nothing  in  any  direction,  I  began 
to  feel  renewed  uneasiness,  lest  after  all  I  should  be 
compelled  to  pass  the  night  away  from  him.  Once 
more  I  bethought  me  of  my  rifle,  and  discharged  it ; 
but  the  fog  lay  so  dense  around,  that  the  report  did 
not  go  far,  and  I  listened  in  vain  for  an  answering 
sound.  I  still  kept  moving  slowly  forward,  and 
presently  the  rippling  sound  of  water  caught  my  ear. 
I  now  fairly  shouted  for  joy.  That  this  was  the 
stream  on  which  my  companions  were  encamped,  I 
really  believed;  and  if  so,  I  had  only  to  enter  its 
bed,  and  follow  it  up,  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  to  find 
them. 

Fifteen  minutes  more  put  me  out  of  suspense,  and 
filled  my  heart  with  joy ;  for  I  now  beheld  the  light 
of  a  fire ;  and,  sitting  beside  it,  his  elbows  on  his 
knees,  his  face  buried  in  his  hands,  was  the  figure  of 
my  friend.  I  approached  him  stealthily,  and  placed 
my  hand  on  his  shoulder.  He  looked  up  with  a  start, 
and  a  flash  of  joy  brightened  his  pale,  sad  features. 

"  Why,  Koland  1"  he  exclaimed  ;  "  my  friend  !  you 
have  come  at  last — God  be  praised  1"  and  springing  to 
his  feet,  he  threw  his  arms  around  my  neck,  and 
wept  like  a  child. 


OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED.       169 


CHAPTEE    X. 

OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED. 

"  HELLO  1"  shouted  another  voice,  that  seemed  to  be 
half  smothered ;  and  at  the  same  moment  a  dark 
bundle,  a  few  feet  distant,  came  rolling  toward  the 
fire,  and  the  rough,  ugly  features  of  One-Eyed  Sam 
popped  out  into  the  light.  "  Hello  I  Freshwater — 
that  thar  you  ?" 

"  It  is  me,  Sam,  thank  God !" 

"  Thought  you'd  got  lost,  or  gone  under  I" 

11 1  have  been  lost." 

"Expect  I     Ary  deer,  boy  ? 

"No!" 

"  Nary  once — I  knowed  it — chaw  me !  Hyer's  a 
old  nigger  as'll  wet  on  to  that  thar.  Augh !  Glad 
you've  come,  lad !  Shadbones  war  quite  down  in  the 
mouth.  Better  turn  in  and  snooze  it  off^  and  talk  it 
over  to-morrow.  Eight  smart  chance  of  fog,  and  the 
muskeeters  bite  like  the  d — 1.  Augh  !" 

With  this  the  head  ducked  into  the  blanket,  like  a 
turtle  into  its  shell,  and  the  bundle  rolled  back  to  its 
place,  when  something  like  a  snore  gave  evidence 
that  the  old  trapper  had  put  off  care  till  another  day. 

"  Oh,  my  friend !"  exclaimed  Yarney,  in  a  tremu 
lous  voice — "  how  shall  I  express  my  joy  at  your  safe 
return  !  Oh  !  if  you  only  knew  what  I  have  suffered 


170  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

on  your  account !  and  yet,  to  some  extent;  a  selfish 
suffering,  as  I  am  free  to  admit." 

"I  do  know,  Alfred,"  returned  I;  "at  least  I  have 
in  imagination  seen  your  mental  anguish.  But  come! 
it  is  late ;  you  have  been  much  disturbed,  and  need 
rest ;  let  us  take  Better's  advice,  turn  into  our  ham 
mocks,  and  talk  over  the  matter  to-morrow." 

"But  you  need  food,  Roland!" 

"  No !  I  have  already  eaten  all  I  require.  Are  the 
animals  safe  ?" 

"  Yes,  they  are  all  picketed  close  around  us.  Mr. 
Better  was  kind  enough  to  take  care  of  ours  as  well 
as  his  own.  But  tell  me — where  have  you  been? 
why  did  you  not  return  at  the  time  promised?  and 
how  did  you  obtain  food  ?" 

"  The  story  is  too  long  for  to-night,  my  friend.  I 
have  met  with  some  remarkable  adventures,  but  am. 
weary ;  and  so  I  pray  you  restrain  your  curiosity  till 
to-morrow." 

"  I  will  try  and  do  so,"  he  said,  feebly ;  and  as  he 
spoke,  he  was  seized  with  a  fit  of  coughing,  which 
lasted  a  long  time,  and  left  him  greatly  exhausted. 

"  You  should  have  gone  into  your  tent  before  dark, 
and  avoided  this  damp  air!"  said  I,  reprovingly.  "If 
you  do  not  take  better  care  of  yourself,  I  am  afraid 
you  will  never  see  the  mountains." 

"My  dear  friend,"  he  replied,  "do  not  blame  me! 
I  did  go  into  the  tent  and  lie  down ;  but  I  could  not 
even  remain  there.  I  could  not  avoid  thinking  of 
you ;  and  the  more  I  thought,  the  more  excited  I  be- 


OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED.       171 

came ;  till  at  last  it  seemed  as  if  I  should  suffocate ; 
and  I  was,  as  it  were,  compelled  to  get  up  and  sit  by 
the  fire.  Oh  !  Koland,  for  the  love  of  Heaven,  do  not 
leave  me  so  again !  If  anything  were  to  happen  to 
you,  I  believe  it  would  kill  me.  I  am  so  feeble — so 
dependent — and,  without  you,  I  feel  so  lonely — so 
wretched." 

He  spoke  in  such  a  feeble,  mournful,  pleading  tone, 
that  I  was  affected  even  to  tears.  I  took  his  thin, 
trembling  hand  in  mine,  and,  in  an  unsteady  voice, 
rejoined : 

"  Alfred  Yarney,  unless  severed  by  the  overruling 
power  of  Divine  Providence,  I  will  not  leave  you 
again,  till  you  are  better  able  to  bear  the  parting." 

"  Thank  you,  Koland !  my  more  than  brother  1"  he 
responded,  with  tearful  eyes.  "I  am  asking  much  of 
you,  I  know ;  I  am  a  dead  weight  upon  your  enjoy 
ment;  I  am  a  poor,  miserable,  selfish  mortal — un 
nerved — unmanly  perhaps — with  the  seeds  of  death 
in  my  system ;  I  may  never  be  able  to  repay  your 
kindness;  but  I  know  there  is  a  world  beyond, 
where  all  will  be  rewarded  for  the  good  they  do  in 
this;  and  when  the  time  shall-  come,  as  you  know  it 
must  come,  for  you  to  go  hence,  your  spirit  will  be 
buoyed  up  by  the  knowledge  that  you  did  all  you 
could  to  render  happy  the  last  hours  of  a  dying 
friend." 

"Say  no  more,  Varney!"  I  replied,  most  deeply 
affected;  u  do  not  talk  in  this  desponding,  melan 
choly  strain ;  for  you  not  only  make  me  very  sad,  but 


172  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

unfit  yourself  for  the  hard,  perilous  journey  before 
you.  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  you,  and  feel  it  no  sacri 
fice;  I  promised  as  much  when  I  consented  to  be 
your  companion ;  but  you  must,  for  my  sake,  try  and 
look  on  the  bright,  instead  of  the  dark,  side  of  the 
picture.  The  mind,  in  your  case,  has  much  power 
over  your  disease ;  and  if  you  give  way  to  despon 
dency,  it  will  only  hasten  the  doom  we  both  seek  to 
avert." 

"  I  know  it — I  know  it,"  he  rejoined  ;  "  and  I  will 
try  and  be  cheerful  and  hopeful ;  only  do  not  give 
me  the  same  cause  for  despondency  which  you  have 
to-night.  Koland,"  he  continued,  earnestly,  after  a 
moment's  pause,  during  which  he  seemed  to  be  lost 
in  deep  reflection — "did  it  ever  occur  to  you,  that 
when,  as  in  my  case,  the  spirit  is  partially  severed 
from  its  bonds  of  clay,  it  might  at  times  receive  cor 
rect  impressions  concerning  the  unknown  future? 
that  it  might,  as  it  were,  become  invested  with  pro 
phetic  knowledge  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  ever  thought  upon  the 
subject ;  but  why  do  you  ask  ?" 

"  You  remember,  when  you  spoke  of  going  in  quest 
of  deer,  how  anxious  I  seemed  that  you  should  not 
lose  sight  of  the  camp  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  I ;  "  and  I  felt  some  surprise  that  you 
should  be  fearful  of  my  getting  lost." 

"  That,"  returned  Yarney,  "  might  have  been  natu 
ral  to  any  one  so  dependent  on  another,  as  I  acknow 
ledge  myself  to  be  upon  you — but  that  was  the  least 


OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED.       173 

of  my  fear.  I  did  not  express  all  I  felt  then — for  one 
does  not  like  to  subject  himself  to  ridicule ;  but  I  will 
speak  frankly  now — for  you  are  now  prepared  to  say 
what  claim  I  have  to  prophetic  inspiration.  If  none, 
I  shall  be  glad  to  know  it  was  mere  fancy,  and  not 
truth — for  I  desire  not  to  see  into  a  future  so  fraught 
with  danger  to  those  I  love." 

"  Say  on !"  returned  I,  with  newly  awakened  in 
terest. 

"Remember,  Roland,  you  have  told  me  nothing; 
and  if  I  hit  upon  facts,  that  have  transpired  to  your 
knowledge,  you  must  at  least  regard  it  as  something 
singular." 

"  I  certainly  shall  so  do,"  said  I,  "  if  you  are  even 
able  to  tell  me  one  tithe  of  what  has  taken  place  since 
I  parted  from  you." 

"  I  shall  make  no  attempt  to  tell  you  what  has  hap 
pened,  my  friend — for  my  impression  was  general, 
rather  than  particular ;  but  I  felt,  and  believed,  your 
life  would  be  in  danger  three  several  times  ere  I 
should  see  you  again." 

"  Great  God  !"  exclaimed  I,  with  a  start ;  "  does 
Destiny  indeed  walk  before  us,  pointing  out  the  path 
which  we  must  follow  !" 

"  '  There's  a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
"  '  Hough-hew  them  how  we  will/  " 

replied  my  friend,  with  deep  solemnity.  "  How  near 
right  was  I,  Roland  ?" 

11  Right  to  the  letter.     I  have  three  times  narrowly 


174  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

escaped  death  since  I  saw  you.  But  had  you  any 
intimation  in  what  manner,  and  by  what  means,  my 
life  would  be  menaced  ?" 

«  None." 

"Did  you  think  I  would  escape?" 

"  Twice  I  knew  you  must,  else  your  life  could  not 
a  third  time  be  in  danger — but  for  the  third  time  I 
trembled !  But  tell  me  how  it  happened,  Koland  ?" 

"  Not  now  !  not  now !"  said  I,  glancing  cautiously 
around,  and  dropping  my  voice  to  a  whisper.  "Is 
Stericks  here  ?" 

"Yes!  he  is  asleep  yonder,  just  beyond  Botter," 
was  the  whispered  reply. 

"  What  time  did  he  come  in  ?" 

"  About  dark." 

"  Did  he  bring  any  game  ?" 

"  He  was  loaded  with  deer  meat,  of  which  we  made 
our  supper." 

"  Did  he  inquire  for  me?" 

"  Not  in  my  hearing." 

"Come  I"  said  I,  aloud — "  let  us  to  bed  ;  you  for 
get  we  have  a  journey  before  us  to-morrow." 

We  accordingly  repaired  to  our  tent,  and  it  was  my 
design  to  turn  in  and  go  to  sleep  at  once ;  but  my 
friend  was  so  anxious  to  hear  of  my  adventures,  that 
I  thought  it  best  to  gratify  him ;  and  in  a  very  low 
tone  I  hurriedly  narrated  the  principal  facts.  He  was 
much  depressed  and  distressed  at  what  had  occurred — 
but  said  he  could  not  see  that  I  was  to  blame  in 
shooting  Loyola,  everything  being  taken  into  consid- 


OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED.       175 

eration.  As  to  the  mysterious  shot,  he  thought,  like 
myself,  that  it  was  an  attempt  of  Stericks  to  take  my 
life ;  but  advised  me  to  make  no  mention  of  it  to 
either  of  the  trappers,  and  appear  as  if  nothing  had 
happened — though,  thenceforth,  to  take  every  precau 
tion  against  a  secret  foe,  and  be  ever  on  the  watch  for 
a  sinister  indication. 

"  As  regards  that  poor  girl,  Eoland,"  he  said, 
"  much  as  I  pity  her — and  pity  her,  I  do,  from  my 
very  soul — I  do  not  think  it  would  be  wise  in  you  to 
interfere.  You  would,  in  all  probability,  get  yourself 
involved  in  a  more  serious  difficulty,  without  being 
able  to  better  her  condition  in  the  least." 

"  But  my  conscience  would  ever  reprove  me,"  re 
turned  I,  "  should  I  leave  her  in  the  hands  of  such  a 
brutal  monster." 

"  And  provided  you  took  her  away  from  him — 
what  would  you  do  with  her  ?"  he  inquired. 

"  Do  with  her  ?"  said  I,  not  a  little  puzzled  for  a 
rational  answer  ;  "  why,  take  her  to  her  friends." 

"  And  who  are  her  friends  ?  and  where,  Roland  ?" 
he  pursued.  "I  understand  you  to  say,  that  she 
knows  little  or  nothing  of  her  early  history,  and  is 
not  certain  that  she  has  a  friend  or  relative  in  the 
world." 

"But  I  think  I  could  find  the  convent  where  she 
was  educated." 

"And  what  then?" 

"  I  think  I  could  there  learn  something  more 
of  her." 


176  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  You  might,  and  you  might  not ;  suppose  the 
latter — what  then  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know  what,"  said  I ;  "  but  doubtless  Pro 
vidence  would  aid  me  in  my  efforts  to  do  right." 

"  Pray  answer  me,  frankly,  a  simple  question  1" 
continued  Yarney,  with  much  earnestness.  "  Would 
you,  under  any  circumstances,  make  this  girl  your 
wife?" 

"  Frankly,  then,"  replied  I,  "  I  have  no  such  design 
in  view.  I  do  not  wish  to  marry  at  present  •  and  if  I 
did,  she  is  not  my  ideal." 

"  Then,  for  a  single  moment,  my  dear  friend,  con 
sider  the  whole  matter  in  a  reasonable  and  rational 
manner ;  and  tell  me,  if  you  do  not  think  it  would  be 
Quixotic  in  the  extreme  for  you,  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
one,  to  take  this  girl  of  seventeen  from  her  father,  or 
one  who  passes  for  her  father,  and  set  off  alone  with 
her  into  a  strange  country,  for  the  purpose  of  restoring 
her  to  friends  of  whom  she  has  no  knowledge,  and 
who,  for  all  you  know  to  the  contrary,  may  have  no 
existence  save  in  your  excited  imagination  ?" 

"  You  certainly  place  the  matter  in  a  very  Quixotic 
point  of  view,"  said  I,  much  struck  with  the  force  of 
his  remarks. 

"  I  certainly  place  the  matter  in  its  true  light,"  he 
answered. 

"  Well,  I  will  sleep  upon  it,  perhaps  dream  upon 
it,"  said  I ;  "  and  we  will  confer  upon  it  to-morrow. 
We  both  need  rest,  after  the  exciting  events  of  to-day 
— you  especially.  Good  night,  my  friend." 


OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED.       177 

"  Good  night,  and  God  bless  you  S"  he  returned. 

"We  both  turned  into  our  hammocks,  without  saying 
anything  further,  but  neither  went  immediately  to 
sleep.  He  coughed  for  an  hour,  and  I  lay  awake  and 
listened  to  him,  my  brain  racked  with  painful  and 
perplexing  thought.  At  last  he  became  quiet,  and  I 
gradually  fell  into  a  slumber,  which  was  more  or  less 
disturbed,  through  the  night,  with  strange  and  start 
ling  dreams.  Toward  morning,  however,  my  nerves 
became  quieted,  and  I  became  oblivious  to  the  cares 
of  mortality. 

When  I  awoke,  the  sun  was  an  hour  above  the 
eastern  horizon,  and  was  shining  bright  and  clear, 
and  gradually  dispersing  the  mists  and  fog  that  still 
lay  in  the  little  valleys  along  the  courses  of  the  dif 
ferent  streams.  My  friend  was  now  sleeping  tran 
quilly  ;  and  fearful  of  disturbing  him,  I  crept  care 
fully  from  the  hammock,  and  stealthily  left  the  tent. 

It  was  indeed  a  day  to  put  one  in  good  spirits. 
The  mists  had  left  the  elevations,  and  the  bright  sun 
was  scattering  the  fog  in  the  valley  of  our  camp; 
birds  fluttered  and  sung  in  the  branches  of  the  trees 
above  us ;  squirrels  chirruped,  and  leaped  from  limb 
to  limb,  or  darted  up  and  down  the  stately  trunks ; 
bees  hummed  their  drowsy  song,  as  they  flew  from 
one  bright  flower  to  another ;  the  little  stream  purled 
musically,  and  sparkled  like  silver,  as  the  light  breeze 
now  and  then  lifted  the  mist  and  let  the  rays  of  the 
sun  strike  it;  and  all  nature  seemed  joyous  and 
decked  in  her  holiday  attire.  I  felt  most  sensibly  the 
10 


178  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

cheerfulness  of  the  day,  and  resolved  to  show  good 
will  to  every  living  thing  ;  and  had  even  a  rattlesnake 
at  that  moment  crossed  my  path,  I  should  have  given 
him  a  wide  berth,  and  allowed  him  to  pass  on  un 
harmed,  unmolested. 

I  found  the  trappers  squatted  upon  the  ground,  at 
a  little  distance  from  a  dying  fire,  which  had  cooked 
their  morning  meal.  They  had  their  pipes  in  their 
mouths,  and  seemed  to  be  enjoying  their  indolence ; 
for  One-Eyed  Sam  was  talking  glibly,  and  Wolfy 
Jake  was  listening,  and  occasionally  grunting  ap 
proval  to  his  remarks.  Neither  seemed  to  take  any 
notice  of  me,  as  I  drew  near,  till  Botter  had  closed 
his  observations,  with  one  of  his  peculiar  laughs — 
when,  turning  to  me,  he  said  : 

"  Wall,  Freshwater,  ef  snoozing  can  save  you  set 
tlement  chaps,  there's  no  chance  of  your  spyling. 
Augh !" 

"  So  it  seems,"  returned  I,  with  a  cheerf ul  smile. 
"  But  you  must  bear  in  mind  I  had  a  very  fatiguing 
day  of  it  yesterday ;  and  my  sick  friend,  who  is  still 
asleep,  needs  all  the  rest  he  can  get,  after  the  intense 
anxiety  and  excitement  he  suffered  on  my  account." 

"  Yes,  Shadbones  war  rayther  down  in  the  mouth 
about  you,  that's  a  fact ;  though  I  knowed  you'd  kim 
out  right  side  up,  and  hind-sight  plum!"  and  he 
winked  his  one  eye  mischievously,  and  his  ugly  fea 
tures  spread  out  into  a  broad  grin.  "But  whar  was 
you  all  that  time,  and  nary  deer  about  ?" 


OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED.       179 

"  I  was  on  the  look-out  for  game  till  dark,"  replied 
I;  "  and  on  my  return  I  missed  my  way." 

As  I  said  this,  I  fixed  my  eyes  upon  Stericks,  who 
sat  quietly  smoking,  and  looking  off  down  the  stream, 
taking  no  notice  of  me  whatever.  I  thought  if  he 
were  guilty  of  an  attempt  upon  my  life,  I  should  per 
haps  detect  some  change,  however  slight,  in  the  ex 
pression  of  his  features.  But  I  did  not.  There  was 
not  the  slightest  variation  in  color — nor  the  slightest 
twinkle,  expansion,  or  contraction  of  the  eye ;  and  the 
eye,  be  it  observed,  will  often  betray  the  consciousness 
of  an  allusion  to  a  secret  fact,  while  all  the  rest  of  the 
countenance,  by  an  effort  of  the  will,  may  remain  in 
an  innocent  repose.  For  some  moments  I  looked 
fixedly  at  Stericks,  in  order  to  decide  in  my  own 
mind  if  he  held  murder  in  his  soul ;  but  his  was  one 
of  those  hard,  inexpressive,  phlegmatic  faces,  that,  in 
general,  give  no  reflex  of  the  owner's  thought;  though, 
on  the  present  occasion,  I  fancied  the  harsh  outlines 
appeared  softened ;  and  I  was  tempted  to  address  him 
in  a  kindly  tone,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  do  away  with 
that  bitter  animosity  which  must  render  our  journey 
disagreeable,  to  say  the  least,  so  long  as  we  should  re 
main  travelling  companions.  Botter  glanced  at  me, 
and  seemed  to  understand  my  wish — for  he  immedi 
ately  observed,  in  his  peculiar  way : 

"  Come,  come — what's  the  use,  Wolfy?  why  can't 
you  and  Freshwater  make  it  up,  and  be  friends  ?  I'd 
hate,  most  powerful,  to  hev  anything  agin  anybody 
on  sich  a  day  as  this  hyer — I  would — chaw  me !" 


180  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  For  my  part,"  said  I,  "  I  am  desirous  to  forget 
what  has  passed  between  Mr.  Stericks  and  myself; 
and  if  he  is  willing,  we  will  shake  hands,  and  be  no 
longer  enemies." 

"  I  don't  believe  in  shaking  hands,"  growled  Ster 
icks,  without  turning  his  head ;  "  but  ef  you've  a  mind 
to  be  civil,  younker,  we'll  say  no  more  about  it ;  but 
ef  you  raise  the  devil  in  me  agin,  I'll  shoot  you, 
by-  -!" 

I  felt  my  blood  tingle  for  a  sharp  retort.  I  was 
tempted  to  tell  him  that  he  had  already  tried  the 
shooting  game  once  and  failed ;  and  that  I  could  do 
something  with  powder  and  lead,  as  well  as  himself; 
but,  for  several  reasons,  I  restrained  my  temper,  and 
replied : 

"Very  well — let  it  end  so  then." 

"  Come,"  said  Sam,  judiciously  turning  the  con 
versation,  "you  want  some  feed,  Freshwater;  and 
thar's  meat,  and  thar's  fire." 

"  Thank  you— I  will  help  myself." 

"  And  I  say,  Freshwater,  I  reckon  you'd  best  stir 
up  Shadbones ;  for  we  don't  see  powerful  many  sich 
days  to  this  hyer,  and  we  ought  to  make  the  most  on 
7em — yes-siree !" 

"  As  soon  as  I  have  cooked  my  meat,  I  will  call 
him,"  said  I. 

"  Then,  Wolfy,  we'd  best  fotch  in  the  critters,  and 
pack  our  traps,"  he  continued,  turning  to  his  com 
panion.  "Never  you  mind,  though;  you  got  the 
feed  last  night,  and  this  hyer  old  nigger'll  git  the 


OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED.       181 

critters  ready ;"  and  knocking  the  ashes  from  his  pipe, 
he  carefully  placed  it  in  his  wampum-worked  holder, 
and  set  off  to  drive  in  the  horses  and  mules,  which 
were  feeding  at  no  great  distance. 

By  the  time  I  had  replenished  the  fire,  and  toasted 
a  slice  of  meat,  Varney  made  his  appearance.  He 
looked  pale  and  exhausted,  said  he  felt  very  weak, 
and  was  afraid  he  would  not  be  able  to  make  a  long 
day's  journey.  He  had  some  appetite,  however, 
which  I  considered  a  favorable  sign ;  and,  after  par 
taking  of  our  somewhat  primitive  meal,  said  he  felt 


stronger. 


As  the  morning  was  wearing  away,  and  I  knew 
the  trappers  were  anxious  to  be  on  the  move,  I 
hastened  to  catch  our  animals,  saddle  our  horses,  fold 
our  tent,  and  pack  the  mule ;  and  in  less  than  half  an 
hour  from  Yarney's  appearance,  we  were  once  more 
mounted,  and  had  bidden  a  long,  an  eternal,  adieu  to 
Camp  Calyptra. 

We  regained  the  Santa  Fe  trail,  and,  in  the  course 
of  another  half  hour,  rode  directly  through  the  now 
deserted  camp  of  the  Santa  Fe  traders.  I  did  not  pass 
the  ground  without  experiencing  some  very  strange 
and  peculiar  sensations ;  and  as  I  pointed  out  the 
spot  to  Varney,  he  slightly  shuddered,  and  said: 

"  I  thank  God,  Eoland,  you  did  not  kill  him  1" 

"  I  pray  God  he  may  not  die  !"  returned  I. 

"  And  what  of  the  girl,  my  friend  ?"  he  continued. 
a  Are  you  still  resolved  on  your  Quixotic  adven 
ture  ?  or  have  you  thought  better  of  it  ?" 


182  THE    BOEDER    R  0  V  E  K. 

"I  should  like  to  see  her  again — I  must  see  her 
again,  Alfred — but,  further  than  that,  I  am  not  pre 
pared  to  say." 

"  And  are  you  really  resolved  on  seeing  her  again, 
Eoland  ?" 

"  I  am." 

"But  how  will  you  accomplish  your  wish  ?" 

"  We  must  overtake  them." 

"  I  fear  it  will  be  impossible,  my  friend,  unless 
they  travel  very  slowly,  or  my  health  so  improves  as 
to  make  long  daily  journeys." 

"  I  think  we  shall  travel  faster  than  they,  and  they 
have  only  very  little  the  start,"  I  replied. 

"Well,  to  gratify  you;  Eoland,  I  will  exert  myself 
to  the  utmost  of  my  strength/'  said  Varney,  with  a 
troubled  countenance. 

"  You  shall  do  no  such  thing,  and  I  beg  you  to 
give  yourself  no  uneasiness  !  It  is  a  long  journey  to 
Santa  Fe ;  and  if  we  do  not  overtake  the  party  in 
question  for  a  week  or  two,  it  will  make  no  material 
difference.  I  wish  to  see  Adele  again,  and  have  a 
further  talk  with  her  ;  I  wish  to  learn  the  result  of 
the  wound  of  Loyola ;  but  I  am  in  no  haste :  there 
fore  cast  the  matter  from  your  mind." 

The  country  we  travelled  over  on  the  second  day, 
was  of  the  same  general  character  as  that  of  the  day 
preceding — rolling  prairie,  green  with  grass,  and  gay 
with  bright  flowers — steep  bluffs,  winsome  valleys, 
and  wooded  streams.  Much  of  the  soil  was  rich,  but 
only  a  little  of  it  was  under  cultivation.  Here  and 


OUB  JOURNEY  KESUMED.      183 

there,  at  long  intervals,  were  the  log-cabins  of  Indian 
farmers — for,  by  treaty,  no  whites  were  allowed  to 
settle  here ;  but  the  different  tribes,  who  owned  the 
land,  in  general  preferred  hunting  and  fishing  to  the 
labor  of  cultivating  more  than  an  occasional  corn-patch 
and  a  patch  for  vegetables.  They  lived  mostly  in 
moving  villages — that  is  to  say,  villages  of  tents, 
which  they  could  strike  in  the  morning,  transport 
through  the  day,  and  pitch  at  night,  with  very  little 
trouble.  Their  territory  was  large  for  their  numbers, 
and  their  wealth  lay  mostly  in  horses,  mules  and  cat 
tle,  which  cost  them  little  labor  to  raise,  and  which 
found  ready  sale,  at  fair  prices,  with  their  eastern 
white  neighbors. 

On  our  journey  to-day  we  met  a  party  of  some  half 
a  dozen,  going  to  Independence  with  a  small  drove  of 
horses.  They  were  superbly  mounted,  and  were 
dressed  to  Indian  fancy — being  bedecked  with  feathers 
and  wampum,  and  bedaubed  with  paint;  and  they 
had  bows,  and  quivers  of  arrows,  and  rifles,  and 
lassos,  the  latter  coiled  and  hung  upon  the  horns  of 
their  Mexican  saddles.  They  were  friendly,  of  course, 
though  looking  very  fierce;  and  being  real,  native 
Indians,  of  whom  I  had  heard  and  read  so  much — 
and  being,  moreover,  more  Indianfied  than  anything 
I  had  seen  at  Independence — I  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  of  stopping  one,  on  pretence  of  wishing  to 
know  the  price  of  a  good  horse.  I  was  at  first  inclined 
to  be  very  romantic,  and  to  fancy  myself  my  great- 
great-grandfather,  or  some  other  worthy  pioneer- 


184  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

leader,  on  the  point  of  making  a  very  important 
treaty  with  a  bold,  daring,  cruel,  pale-face-hating 
Indian  chief;  but  the  moment  he  opened  his  mouth, 
and  assured  me  "  his  hoss  was  good  a  heap,"  I  began 
to  feel  quite  common-place ;  and  when  he  wound  up 
by  telling  me  "  he  liked  good  whisk  to  make  drunk 
come,"  and  asked  for  a  "chaw  tobac,"  I  thought  him 
akin  to  a  very  vulgar  human  importation  from  Hol 
land,  and  could  scarcely  conceal  my  disgust.  So  we 
parted — neither  particularly  pleased — he  no  richer, 
but  I  some  wiser.  Shade  of  Cooper!  had  this  red 
man  the  cunning  of  the  fox,  the  fierceness  of  the 
tiger,  the  nobility  of  the  lion  ?  No  I  rather  say  the 
slouching  vulgarity  of  the  hound !  And  this  is  the 
half-civilized  Indian  of  the  nineteenth  century ! 

My  friend  proved  not  so  well  able  to  bear  the 
fatigues  of  the  second  day  as  the  first;  and  by  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  we  encamped  for  the  night. 
During  the  night  his  cough  became  more  troublesome 
than  usual ;  and  he  had  a  slight  haemorrhage  of  the 
lungs,  which  quite  alarmed  me.  The  next  day  he 
was  still  weaker;  and  we  both  began  to  despair  of 
his  ever  seeing  the  mountains ;  but  from  that  time  he 
gradually  began  to  amend,  and  hope  revived. 

For  several  days,  which  I  pass  over  with  a  word, 
we  were  not  in  our  saddles  over  four  or  five  hours  of 
the  twenty-four,  and  then  we  travelled  very  slowly. 

This  was  a  standing  cause  for  grumbling  on  the 
part  of  Stericks ;  and  even  Botter  himself,  I  fancied, 
began  to  get  tired  of  his  bargain — though  he  had,  as 


OUR  JOURNEY  RESUMED.       185 

yet,  made  no  direct  complaint.  I  had  once  or  twice 
heard  of  the  Santa  Fe  traders,  from  parties  we  had 
met — but  could  learn  nothing  of  Loyola  or  his  daugh 
ter.  According  to  report,  the  company  was  now 
many  leagues  ahead  of  us ;  and  I  began  to  lose  all 
hope  of  overtaking  them  before  they  should  reach  the 
point  where  our  course  would  require  us  to  diverge 
from  the  grand  trail. 

During  all  this  time,  the  weather  had  proved 
remarkably  fine ;  and  our  route,  each  day,  had  been 
over  the  same  delightful,  picturesque  country  already 
described;  but  we  were  now  approaching  the  borders 
of  these  rolling  and  partially  timbered  lands;  and 
were  about  to  enter  upon  the  grand  prairies — upon 
scenes  of  more  exciting  and  thrilling  adventure — upon 
scenes  of  hardship  and  peril — compared  to  which,  all 
I  had  seen  and  experienced  would  sink  into  insig 
nificance.  Oh !  the  eventful  future  which  lay  before 
me!  Could  I  have  lifted  the  vail,  which,  by 
Almighty  wisdom,  shut  it  from  my  view,  I  should 
perhaps  have  turned  back  with  trembling  and  fear. 
But  the  beacon  of  hope  seemed  to  beam  brightly  in 
the  distance;  and  I  pressed  onward,  perceiving  not 
its  ignis  fatuus  illusions,  nor  the  quicksands  of  des 
pair  which  lay  between  me  and  my  goal ! 


186  THE    BOBDEK    KOVEE. 


CHAPTEE  XL 

STARTLING     NEWS. 

THE  breeze  was  blowing  softly  from  the  south,  a 
few  fleecy  clouds  were  floating  through  the  blue  of 
heaven,  and  the  bright,  genial  sun  was  some  three 
hours  advanced  on  his  western  decline,  when  we 
reached  that  little  Paradise  of  the  West  known  as 
Council  Grove.  On  our  journey  hither,  I  had  seen 
many  beautiful  places  and  scenes — but  none  to  equal 
this.  A  grove  of  stately  trees,  their  trunks  standing 
like  huge  columns  to  support  the  green  Gothic  canopy 
above,  formed  a  broad  belt  to  the  right  and  left  of  a 
clear  running  stream,  which  purled  through  a  gently 
sloping  valley,  whose  emerald  hue  was  variegated 
with  thousands  of  bright  flowers.  All  the  sylvan 
charms  of  the  temperate  zone  were  here  in  lavish  pro 
fusion.  Giant  trees  of  oak,  beech,  hickory,  elm,  ash, 
maple  and  walnut,  here  seemed  vieing  for  superiority, 
yet  with  harmonious  rivalry,  and  locking  their  huge 
arms  in  fraternal  embrace.  Bees  hummed  their 
drowsy  songs,  as  they  flew  from  one  bright  flower  to 
another — sometimes  seeming  to  dispute  possession  with 
gay-colored  butterflies — while  thousands  of  grass 
hoppers  went  bounding  from  blade  to  blade,  and  the 
innocent  cricket  chirped  his  music  beneath  them  all 
Above  us,  sleek,  bright-eyed  squirrels  went  leaping 


STARTLING    NEWS.  187 

from  limb  to  limb,  combining  cunning,  coyness,  and 
boldness  in  their  every  movement ;  and  while  hun 
dreds  of  showy-plumed  aerial  voyagers  fluttered 
among  the  green  leaves,  the  well-known  mocking 
bird,  cat-bird,  and  blue-jay,  made  the  air  vocal  with 
their  melodies. 

"  Roland,"  exclaimed  Yarney,  as  we  rode  under  the 
green  arches,  "  is  this  the  Garden  of  Eden  ?" 

11  The  Garden  of  Eden  could  scarcely  have  been 
more  beautiful  and  enchanting,"  I  replied. 

"  This  hyer's  one  of  the  spots !"  observed  One- 
Eyed  Sam;  u  and  this  hyer  old  nigger  says  it,  as  has 
seed  some  punks  in  his  time.  Augh !  But  we've 
been  a  long  time  gitting  here,"  he  added,  with  some 
hesitation  ;  "  and  though  I  hate  to  tell  you  so,  Wolfy's 
got  opinionated  that  we'd  best  quit  to  this  hyer." 

"  Indeed!"  returned  I,  in  a  tone  of  surprise  ;  "and 
do  you  wish  to  be  released  from  your  bargain  ?" 

"  Wait  till  we  camp,"  was  the  reply,  "  and  then  I'll 
tell  you  some'at." 

We  pitched  our  camp  in  one  of  the  shadiest  nooks 
of  this  sylvan  retreat ;  and  then,  for  the  first  time,  I 
discovered  we  were  not  the  only  human  tenants  of 
the  grove.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  some 
distance  below  us,  was  a  small  moving  village  of 
Feorias;  and  near  it,  the  camp  of  "a  party  of  white 
traders  from  Missouri.  I  pointed  them  out  to  Better, 
who  said,  in  reply : 

"  Sartin,  Freshwater — I  knowed  thar'd  be  white 
and  red  humans  hyer,  so  as  you  could  take  your  pick, 


188  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

ef  you  didn't  go  no  furder  with  me  and  Wolfy — fur 
this  hyer's  a  grand  stamping  ground  to  all  the  friendly 
red  niggers,  and  them  as  wants  to  trade  with  'em ; 
and  I've  seed  'em  here  as  thick  as  fleas  to  a  dog's 
back — ef  I  haven't,  chaw  me  !  Augh  1" 

"  Then  you  are  really  in  earnest  about  separating 
from  us  ?"  inquired  I. 

"  Why,  hoss,  I  don't  like  it,  and  I'd  like  to  take 
you  considerable  ;  but  Shadbones  keeps  us  back  like 
a  sick  muley,  and  Wolfy  growls  like  the  d — 1,  and  so 
what's  a  old  one-eyed  nigger  to  do  except  to  gin  in  ?" 

"Well,"  said  I,  "I  don't  know  as  I  can  blame  you; 
for  when  we  made  our  bargain  with  you,  I  supposed,  of 
course,  we  should  be  able  to  travel  much  faster  than 
we  have  done  between  here  and  Independence." 

"Yes,"  returned  Botter;  "and  don't  forgit  we've 
had  jam  up  weather,  and  been  tramping  through  a 
peaceable  country ;  but  now  we're  agwine  to  leave  all 
them  thar  behind ;  and  what  'ud  Shadbones  do  with 
his  tent  tore  up  into  lariats,  all  heaven  kiming  down 
to  water,  and  a  hundred  screeching  devils  arter  his 
top-knot  ?  You  kin  gamble  high  on  to  it,  Freshwater, 
that  ef  he  don't  jine  some  big  party  with  wagons,  he'll 
never  take  his  ha'r  to  Bent's." 

"  But  can  we  find  such  a  party  going  directly  to 
Bent's." 

"  Expect — leastways,  thar's  al'ays  some  as  is  gwine 
out  about  this  time." 

"  Very  well,  I  will  have  a  talk  with  my  friend,  and 
see  what  can  be  done." 


STARTLING    NEWS.  189 

This  conversation  occurred  while  Botter  and  myself 
were  unsaddling  and  unpacking  our  animals ;  and  as 
soon  as  I  had  hoppled  and  picketed  ours,  I  informed 
Yarney  what  had  passed  between  us. 

"  Well,  Roland,  he  is  right,"  he  said,  in  a  low,  sad 
tone.  "  I  have  myself  been  thinking  I  might  never 
get  through  on  horseback,  and  Stericks'  impatience 
and  surliness  is  a  great  source  of  annoyance.  "We 
will  pay  them  for  their  time,  and  let  them  go  ;  and  if 
I  can  find  no  means  for  getting  on,  I  can  die  here. 
It  is  at  least  a  consolation  to  think  my  body  will  take 
its  last  rest  in  the  most  beautiful  spot  I  have  ever 
seen." 

"  Come!  come !"  returned  I ;  "do  not  talk  of  dying 
here,  or  elsewhere!  During  the  last  three  or  four 
days,  your  health  has  improved,  and  you  only  need 
good  spirits  to  make  you  still  better.  Let  us  take  a 
walk  through  this  grove,  and  visit  our  neighbors." 

"Have  you  given  up  all  thoughts  of  overtaking 
Adele?"  inquired  Yarney,  as,  arm-in-arm,  we  saun 
tered  down  the  flowery  bank  of  the  limpid  stream. 

"  I  should,  if  I  have  not — for  doubtless  the  traders 
are  fifty  miles  ahead  of  us." 

"  And  are  you  contented  to  let  her  go  ?" 

"  Why  do  you  ask  ?" 

"  Because  it  is  my  duty  to  study  your  pleasure  and 
happiness,  as  well  as  you  mine ;  and  as  we  cannot 
longer  travel  together  in  the  company  of  the  trappers, 
perhaps  you  had  better  leave  me  here  and  go  on  with 
them  yourself." 


190  THE     BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Leave  you  here — alone  ?" 

"  No,  not  alone.  I  think  I  can  make  friends  with 
my  countrymen  here — or  at  least  with  the  Indians ; 
and  in  their  camp,  and  under  their  protection,  I  can 
remain  till  I  find  an  opportunity  of  prosecuting  my 
journey  with  a  large  company  of  wagoners.  I  am  de 
lighted  with  the  place — I  feel  the  need  of  rest — and 
so  I  think  I  shall  pass  a  few  days  very  agreeably 
here." 

"  And  for  what  purpose  shall  I  go  forward  ?" 
mused  I. 

"  That  you  best  know  yourself,  Roland  ?" 

"  True,  I  did  promise  Adele  I  would  see  her  again 
soon ;  and,  I  frankly  admit,  it  would  give  me  pleasure 
to  keep  my  word ;  but  that  pleasure  would  be  height 
ened  to  have  you  in  my  company." 

"  But  you  see  that  cannot  be,  Roland.  I  can  only 
trave]  a  few  miles  a  day  on  horseback,  under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances ;  and  the  most  favorable 
circumstances,  so  far,  we  have  had.  What  would 
become  of  me,  should  I  see  the  reality  of  the  picture 
which  Better  has  drawn  ?  And,  moreover,  you  could 
go  on  to  Bent's  Fort,  and  there  await  me ;  and  there, 
you  know,  we  were  to  separate,  according  to  your 
original  plan  of  returning  home  in  the  fall ;  so  that  the 
parting  must  come  soon  or  late,  and  the  only  differ 
ence  between  now  and  then  is  time." 

"  You  grow  philosophical,"  said  I,  "  and  seem  anx 
ious  to  get  rid  of  me." 

"  Roland  Rivers  !"  exclaimed  Yarney,  stopping  sud- 


STARTLING    NEWS.  191 

denly,  and  facing  me,  with  a  sad,  reproachful  look, 
that  touched  my  heart — "  what  have  I  ever  done  to 
deserve  such  words  from  you  ?"  and  his  voice  trem 
bled,  and  his  dark  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"  Forgive  me,  my  friend !"  said  I,  grasping  his  thin 
hand.  "  I  was  hasty  ;  I  did  not  think  before  I  spoke ; 
but  I  was  surprised  to  hear  you  speak  so  coolly  of 
separation,  when  all  along  I  had  been  led  to  suppose 
it  would  be  painful  to  you  as  well  as  myself." 

"  If  you  could  look  into  my  heart  this  minute, 
Eoland,  and  behold  the  anguish  it  has  cost  me  to 
make  this  proposition,  you  would  not  reproach  me 
with  making  it  coolly,  and  without  pain." 

"  Why  then  have  you  made  it  at  this  time  of  all 
others  ?" 

"  Koland,  I  have  watched  you  closely  for  the  last 
few  days,  and  have  thus  been  made  aware  how  much 
your  mind  dwells  upon  that  poor  girl.  Ah  [  you 
start — you  are  surprised;  but  you  must  know  that, 
to  me,  the  face  of  a  friend  is  a  glass,  in  whi,eh  I  see 
the  heart  mirrored ;  and  to  read  your  heart,  in  so 
good  a  glass  as  your  face,  were  an  easy  task,  even  to 
a  novice.  I  know  you  have  sought  to  conceal  from 
me  the  fact  of  your  mind  being  occupied  with  what 
you  fancied  would  give  me  pain  to  learn — but  which 
I  have  learned,  nevertheless — and  had  it  not  been 
that  I  indulged  the  hope  of  being  able  to  make  such 
progress  as  would  accomplish  your  desire,  I  should 
have  spoken  to  you  on  the  subject  ere  this.  Thus 
you  perceive  why  I  have  chosen  the  present  time,  of 


192  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

all  others,  to  make  my  proposition — it  now  being 
rendered  certain  that  I  cannot  go  forward  with  the 
rapidity  required — and  I  would  not  have  you  disap 
pointed  for  the  world." 

"  But,  Yarney,  much  as  I  would  like  to  see  Adele, 
and  learn  the  fate  of  Loyola,  I  cannot  bear  to  think 
of  leaving  you  here — it  seems  like  deserting  a  friend." 

"It  is  not  so  in  truth,"  replied  Yarney;  "though  I 
shall  be  selfish  enough  to  exact  a  promise,  that  you 
will  either  return  on  the  trail  and  meet  me,  or  go  for 
ward  to  Bent's  and  await  my  arrival — for  not  to  be 
hold  you  again,  would  render  me  miserable  indeed." 

"  But  can  you  find  a  safe  conveyance  to  the  fort,  do 
you  think  ?" 

"  We  will  inquire ;  and  here  we  are  at  the  traders7 
camp.  How  shall  we  cross  the  stream  ?  I  would  avoid 
wetting  my  feet." 

"  Let  me  show  you ;"  and  lifting  him  in  my  arms, 
as  if  he  had  been  a  child,  I  quickly  landed  him  on  the 
opposite  bank — for  the  stream  was  neither  wide  nor 
deep. 

We  here  found  a  few  traders  from  Missouri,  and  a 
small  village  of  Peorias — the  "  big  village,"  as  it  was 
termed,  being  out  on  the  plains.  The  Indians  here 
were  not  painted,  and  really  appeared  quite  civilized 
• — many  of  them  being  clothed  in  garments  purchased 
from  the  whites,  and  several  of  them  being  able  to 
converse  in  the  English  language  with  ease  and- 
fluency.  The  males,  some  of  them,  were  fine,  ath 
letic-looking  fellows ;  and  a  few  of  the  women  had  in- 


STAKTLING    NEWS.  193 

teresting  and  intelligent,  though  not  remarkably 
handsome,  features.  There  were  about  thirty  in  all — 
men,  women,  and  children  ;  and  though  most  of  them 
were  rather  flashily  ornamented  with  gold  and  silver 
rings,  brooches,  red  scarfs,  red  blankets,  beads,  wam 
pum,  and  so  forth,  I  saw  not  one  of  decidedly  repul 
sive  appearance,  Their  tents  were  pitched  in  a 
semi-circle,  fronting  on  the  stream,  and  looked  com 
fortable  and  tidy ;  and  their  cattle  were  grazing  in  the 
vicinity,  tended  by  half-grown  boys. 

The  traders,  about  a  dozen  in  number,  were 
awaiting  customers  from  the  plains — Council  Grove 
being  the  grand  rendezvous  of  all  the  friendly  tribes. 
They  dealt  in  guns,  knives,  pistols,  trinkets,  gew-gaws, 
cloths,  blankets,  powder,  lead,  whiskey,  tobacco,  sugar, 
coffee,  and  so  on  ;  and  bartered  their  commodities  for 
furs,  skins,  horses,  cattle,  and  such  articles  of  Indian 
manufacture  as  would  find  ready  market  in  the 
States.  Their  wagons  were  so  disposed  as  to  form  a 
hollow  square ;  and  they  displayed  their  articles  in  a 
long,  temporary  booth,  each  trader  having  his  allotted 
place  or  stall.  At  present  they  were  doing  no  busi 
ness  ;  and  while  three  or  four  were  lounging  about, 
smoking  their  pipes,  and  talking  over  their  affairs,  the 
others  were  playing  cards  and  pitching  quoits. 

To  our  inquiries  concerning  a  party  for  Bent's  Fort, 
we  were  answered,  that  it  was  supposed  a  small  train 
of  wagons  would  be  shortly  going  out,  but  at  what 
precise  time  no  one  could  say.  Yarney  asked  for  the 
privilege  of  being  allowed  to  pitch  his  tent  in  their 
11 


194  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

camp,  and  was  told  that  he  would  be  welcome  to  do 
so ;  and  further,  that  he  could  mess  with  them,  by 
paying  his  share  of  the  expense — a  proposition  which 
he  accepted  with  pleasure. 

41  You  seem  determined  to  so  arrange  your  affairs 
that  I  shall  have  no  excuse  for  remaining  with  you," 
I  observed  to  him. 

"  I  know  enough  of  the  human  heart,  to  be  almost 
certain  that  you  will  not  rest  contented  till  you  have 
redeemed  your  promise  to  Adele,"  he  replied. 

"Well,"  I  rejoined  "I  will  talk  with  Better  be 
fore  I  decide — though  I  have  no  great  inclination 
to  travel  further  with  his  surly  companion." 

We  were  just  on  the  point  of  leaving  the  traders 
camp,  and  recrossing  the  stream  to  our  own,  when 
we  heard  the  tramp  of  horses'  feet ;  and  immediately 
after,  four  men,  in  the  usual  hunting  costume  of 
the  West,  rode  up  to  the  wagons  and  dismounted — 
their  fine,  noble  animals,  covered  with  sweat  and  dust, 
fairly  drooping  their  heads  with  fatigue,  showing  that 
they  had  been  ridden  fast  and  far.  The  riders  them 
selves,  all  comparatively  young  men,  and  fine,  athletic 
fellows,  looked  weary  and  anxious — so  that  it  was 
evident,  from  a  single  glance,  that  something  had 
gone  wrong. 

"You're  back  soon,  Mr.  Sutton,"  said  one  of  the 
traders,  addressing  one  of  the  new-comers — a  tall, 
handsomely-formed  individual,  with  black  hair,  eyes, 
and  beard,  and  whose  age  could  not  be  far  from 
thirty.  l<  Anything  the  matter  ?" 


STARTLING    NEWS.  195 

"  Yes  I"  replied  Mr.  Sutton,  in  a  positive  tone,  with 
compressed  lips ;  "  the  Indians  are  out  in  great 
numbers,  and  several  whites  have  been  killed.  You 
perceive  that  two  of  our  own  party  are  missing !" 

Instantly  the  parties  playing  cards  and  pitching 
quoits,  left  their  games,  and  gathered  around  the 
speaker  and  his  companions,  to  hear  the  news. 
Yarney  and  myself  also  hurried  up  to  the  group. 

" Let's  hear  all  about  it!"  said  the  one  who  first 
addressed  Sutton. 

"  The  story  is  soon  told,"  pursued  Sutton.  "  "We 
were  out  on  the  plains,  having  some  rare  sport  with 
the  buffaloes,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Plum  Buttes,  when 
we  were  suddenly  set  upon  by  a  large  party  of  Arra- 
pahoes.  As  our  numbers  were  too  few  to  cope 
with  them,  we  fled,  in  a  southeast  direction,  aiming 
to  strike  the  Santa  Fe  trail.  The  Indians  followed  us 
for  a  few  miles,  and  then  apparently  gave  up  the  pur 
suit.  As  it  was  near  night,  we  selected  a  pleasant 
spot,  and  camped,  keeping  a  sharp  look-out  till  day 
light,  when  we  were  astonished  to  perceive  the  same 
party  not  more  than  a  mile  distant.  They  had  pro 
bably  been  searching  for  us  through  the  night,  for 
they  immediately  bore  down  toward  us,  and  we  made 
a  narrow  escape,  having  barely  time  to  saddle  and 
mount  our  beasts  before  they  were  upon  our  camp. 
We  left  our  tents,  blankets,  and  camp  utensils,  which 
they  stopped  to  seize  and  divide,  and  this  diversion 
in  our  favor  probably  saved  our  lives.  Determined 
this  time  to  put  a  safe  distance  between  them  and  us, 


196  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

we  continued  our  course  eastward,  and  toward  evening 
reached  Turkey  Creek,  where  we  found  a  company 
of  Santa  Fe  traders  encamped  on  the  western  bank  of 
the  stream.  We  joined  them,  and  told  them  our 
story.  Some  looked  grave ;  but  a  few  of  the  young 
men  received  the  intelligence  lightly  enough,  and 
seemed  to  think  we  had  been  unnecessarily  scared. 
They  said  if  we  had  stood  our  ground,  doubtless  the 
Indians  would  have  fled,  as  they  do  not  like  to  face 
the  unerring  rifles  of  the  whites." 

"  That's  a  fact,"  said  the  Missourian ;  "  you  see  you 
haint  got  seasoned  out  here  yet !" 

"Suppose  you  reserve  your  opinion,  sir,  till  you 
hear  my  story  through !"  rejoined  Sutton,  a  little  tes 
tily.  "  When  I  have  finished,  you  will  be  better  able 
to  judge  whether  the  Indians  proved  themselves  arrant 
cowards  or  not." 

"  Oh,  sartin,"  returned  the  other,  a  little  crest 
fallen.  "  Go  ahead !" 

"I  do  not  think,"  proceeded  Sutton,  with  a  touch 
of  irony,  "  I  am  more  cowardly  than  people  in  gene 
ral  ;  but  as  my  companions  and  myself  came  out  here 
for  a  pleasure  hunt,  we  were  not  in  a  proper  condition 
to  see  the  propriety  of  recklessly  throwing  our  lives 
away,  when  caution  and  prudence  could  save  them. 
Well,  as  I  have  said,  some  of  the  younger  members 
of  the  party  in  question,  made  rather  light  of  our 
story,  and  none  seemed  to  be  apprehensive  of  their 
camp  being  attacked,  though  they  took  the  precau 
tion  to  post  sentinels.  But  it  was  attacked,  neverthe- 


STARTLING    NEWS.  197 

less — probably  by  the  same  large  party  of  Arrapa- 
hoes,  who  fought  like  devils.  We  did  not  fly  this 
time,  sir !  but  made  as  good  a  defence  as  we  could. 
Several  of  the  Indians  were  killed ;  but,  alas !  that  I 
must  add,  several  of  the  whites  also,  among  whom 
were  two  of  our  comrades.  After  a  desperate  fight  of 
more  than  an  hour,  our  enemies  retreated,  bearing 
away  their  dead,  driving  away  several  of  the  animals, 
and  taking  with  them  two  female  prisoners." 

"  Shocking !"  exclaimed  several  voices. 

"  Was  there  a  wounded  man  in  that  camp  when 
you  joined  it?"  inquired  I,  eagerly. 

"  There  was,  sir — a  Mexican,  or  Spaniard,  I  believe 
— but  he  was  killed  at  the  first  onset,  and  his  daugh 
ter  was  one  of  the  two  taken  prisoners." 

"Good  God!  Adele  a  prisoner!"  exclaimed  I,  in  a 
tone  that  drew  the  attention  of  the  whole  group  upon 
me. 

"  Yes,"  said  Sutton,  "that  was  the  name — I  remem 
ber  hearing  it  mentioned  with  commiseration  after  the 
fight  was  over." 

"  When  did  this  occur?" 

"  Last  night." 

"  You  don't  say  you've  come  from  Turkey  Creek 
since  last  night  ?"  said  one  of  the  traders,  in  a  tone  of 
surprise. 

"  Yes,  since  daylight  this  morning." 

"  Then  you've  eyther  killed  your  hosses — or,  dern 
me,  they're  some  punks !"  cried  another. 

"They  are  the  true  mettle,  or  we  should  never 


198  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

have  escaped  those  cursed  savages,"  replied  Sutton. 
"But  they  need  rest  and  food  now;  and  as  we  are 
almost  worn  out  with  our  long  ride,  I  will  stand  treat 
for  the  whole,  if  any  of  you  will  unharness  and 
hopple  them." 

Three  or  four  of  the  party  instantly  took  charge  of 
the  weary  animals,  and  I  inquired  the  distance  to 
Turkey  Creek. 

"Wall,  stranger,  it's  seventy  mile,  or  tharabouts," 
was  the  answer ;  "  leastways,  we  put  it  down  for  two 
jam-up  days'  journey." 

"Will  you  permit  me  a  few  minutes'  private  con 
versation  with  you?"  I  said,  addressing  one  of 
Sutton's  companions — a  light-haired,  blue-eyed,  good- 
looking  young  man,  of  perhaps  twenty-five  years  of 
age. 

"  Certainly,"  he  replied,  in  a  courteous  tone ;  and  we 
immediately  withdrew  from  the  crowd. 

"As  I  know  several  of  the  company  which  was 
attacked,"  I  began,  "and  take  a  deep  interest  in  the 
fate  of  the  poor  girl — who,  as  your  companion  says, 
was  taken  prisoner — I  shall  be  much  obliged  to  you 
for  some  particulars  of  the  tragic  affair.  Are  you 
sure  the  girl  was  not  killed  ?" 

"I  am  not  sure,"  he  answered  ;  "but  after  the  fight, 
it  was  discovered  that  she  and  another  female  were 
missing,  and  it  is  supposed  that  the  Indians  took 
them  away  alive." 

"Are  you  sure  that  her  father  was  killed?" 


STARTLING    NEWS.  199 

"  If  you  mean  the  wounded  man,  I  am  sure;  for  I 
saw  him  dead." 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know  if  his  wound  was  con 
sidered  dangerous  at  the  time  of  the  attack  ?" 

"  No,  sir  !  of  that  I  know  nothing." 

"  And  how  many  of  the  whites  were  killed?" 

"Seven  in  all,  including  two  of  our  party — but 
several  others  were  wounded." 

"  Was  there  any  talk  of  following  the  Indians,  in 
order  to  rescue  the  captives  ?" 

"  I  heard  one  or  two  suggestions  of  that  kind — but 
others  said  it  would  be  the  height  of  rashness  and 
folly — so  I  think  none  will  make  the  attempt." 

"  And  what  will  the  Indians  do  with  these  female 
prisoners  ?" 

"Make  wives  and  slaves  of  them,  I  suppose." 

"  Great  Heaven  1"  cried  I — "that  must  not  be !  they 
must  be  rescued !" 

"  More  easily  said  than  done,  my  dear  sir !"  replied 
the  other.  "  These  Indians  are  said  to  be  among  the 
most  formidable  of  the  Western  tribes ;  and  it  would 
be  sheer  fool-hardiness  to  attack  them  in  their  own 
country,  without  having  a  large  force  of  experienced 
Indian  fighters." 

"  But  might  these  females  not  be  rescued  by  stealth 
or  stratagem?" 

' '  I  cannot  say,  sir  I  but  I  think  such  things  seldom 
happen  except  in  novels." 

"Is  it  your  intention  to  return  to  the  prairies?" 

"No,  sir !  it  is  my  intention  to  return  to  the  States, 


200  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

and  there  remain.  A  party  of  six  of  us  came  out  for 
a  pleasure  hunt,  and  we  have  had  enough  of  it.  Two 
of  our  friends  take  their  last  sleep  on  the  banks  of 
Turkey  Creek,  and  the  rest  of  us  are  going  home, 
sadder  and  wiser  than  when  we  came  hither." 

"It  is  curious,"  observed  Yarney,  reflectively — 
"you  return  to  the  States  to  prolong  your  life,  and  I 
seek  the  wilderness  for  the  same  object." 

"  You  go  to  regain  your  health  ?"  inquired  the 
other. 

"I  do." 

11  Well,  you  may  do  that,  and  lose  your  scalp.  As 
for  me,  I  think  I  should  rather  die  among  my  friends, 
in  a  civilized  country,  than  live  out  here  in  constant 
dread  and  terror." 

After  some  further  conversation,  we  returned  to 
our  own  camp. 

"Well,"  inquired  Yarney,  "  what  now,  Roland?" 

"  That  girl  must  be  rescued,  Alfred  !" 

"  But  how  ?" 

"  I  do  not  know — I  must  have  a  talk  with  Botter." 

"But  surely,  Roland,  you  will  not  be  so  venture 
some  as  to  set  off'  in  quest  of  her  ?" 

"And  must  she  remain  among  them  forever,  poor 
girl?" 

"  It  is  a  hard  fate,"  sighed  Yarney,  "  and  I  appre 
ciate  your  humane  and  noble  feelings;  but  if  you 
attempt  to  rescue  her,  you  will  only  lose  your  own 
life,  and  she  remain  a  prisoner  still." 

"  I  might,  and  I  might  not — God  only  knows." 


ON    THE    GRAND    PRAIRIES.  201 

"  You  are  resolved  on  the  venture  then,  Roland  ?" 
"  I  will  first  consult  Better,  and  take  his  advice ; 
and,  apropos,  here  he  is." 

"  Bray  Heaven  he  discourage  him !"  said  Yarney, 
in  a  tone  not  intended  for  my  ear — though  I  heard 
the  words,  and  the  deep  sigh  which  followed. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ON     THE     GRAND     PRAIRIES. 

I  IMMEDIATELY  made  Botter  acquainted  with  all  I 
had  heard  from  the  amateur  hunters. 

"  Wall,  them  thar  Injuns  al'ays  was  the  devil's 
own,"  he  said  in  reply  ;  "  and  hyer's  a  old  nigger  as 
has  seed  'em  within  short  smell — ef  I  haven't,  you  kin 
chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar.  Augh !  But  they  must  hev 
got  cantankerous  arter  them  green  spoon ies,  to  make 
sich  a  dash  so  fur  east  as  Turkey  Creek ;  they'd 
looked  a sight  more  like  themselves — the  infer 
nal,  greasy  scoundrels — howling  around  to  Pawnee 
Fork;  that's  whar  they  ginerally  spread  out  to  do 
thar  dirty  work." 

"  So  Pawnee  Fork  is  considered  the  most  dangerous 
point  on  the  route,  is  it?"  said  I. 

"Rayther — though  nobody's  top-knot  is  parfectly 
safe  from  thar  to  Bent's — but  I'd  not  expected  them 
to  Turkey  Creek.  Chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar,  Fresh- 


202  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

water,  but  this  hyer  old  one-eyed  corn-cracker  would 
jest  like  to  been  thar — fur  I  jest  feel  myself  spyling 
fur  a  fight— eh  !  Wolfy?" 

Stericks  was  squatted  on  the  ground,  within  hear 
ing,  and  replied,  in  his  usual  growling  tone : 

"Better  keep  cl'ar  of  them  thar  'Kappahoes — that's 
my  notion,  and  I  knows  'em  a  few." 

4'  Wall,  you  does,  old  hoss !"  laughed  Better.  "  D'ye 
remember  the  time,  Wolfy,  we  both  went  in,  plum- 
centre,  rubbed  three  on  'em  out,  and  lifted  thar  ha'r?" 

"  And  how  I  toted  you  off;  with  two  or  three  arrers 
sticking  into  ye  ?  Yes,  I  haint  forgot  to  that." 

"  Augh  !  them  was  times !"  said  Sam,  with  a  satis 
factory  grunt. 

"  Suppose  I  pay  you  well  for  your  time,  how  would 
you  like  to  go  with  me  in  search  of  these  female  pri 
soners  ?"  inquired  I. 

"  Go  whar,  Freshwater  ?" 

u  Why  into  the  Indian  country." 

"  Arter  them  thar  womens?" 

"  Yes." 

Botter  looked  at  me,  with  a  quizzical  leer,  as  he  in 
quired  : 

"In  'arnest,  Freshwater?" 

"  Certainly  I  am." 

"  What !  you  jest  want  to  run  your  wool  into  them 
• red  niggers'  fists;  fur  two  womens?" 

"  You  think,  then,  there  would  be  no  chance  of  our 
return,  should  we  make  the  attempt  ?" 

"  Nary  once — not  any  more  nor  ef  you  was  sunk 


ON    THE    GRAND    PRAIRIES.  203 

two  foot  below  wolf-smell !  "What !  go  dodging  to 
them  thar  niggers,  to  thar  own  stamping-ground,  and 
expect  to  keep  your  ha'r? — that's  one  of  the  notions — 
chaw  me !" 

"  From  what  you  have  just  said,  T  inferred  you  had 
done  as  much  already." 

"  Nary  once,  boy — nary  once — not  so  green  sence 

I  cut  my  eye-teeth.  About  fifteen  of  the  imps 

once  pitched  into  me  and  Wolfy,  and  we  went  in  and 
drawed  blood;  but  that  thar  wasn't  walking  into  the 
whole  nation,  in  thar  own  country,  by  a  long  shot. 
Augh !" 

"  Alas  !  poor  Adele  1"  sighed  I. 

"Poor  what?" 

"  One  of  the  females  captured  was  a  young  girl,  a 
particular  friend  of  mine,"  said  I,  by  way  of  explana 
tion,  for  I  had  never  told  either  of  the  trappers  of  my 
adventure  in  the  traders'  camp. 

"  Oh,  she  was,  hey  ?"  returned  Botter  ;  "  that's  the 
reason  fur  you  wanting  to  go,  hey  ?  Expect !  Glad 
you  told  me  that  thar,  Freshwater." 

«  Why  ?" 

"  Bekase  your  wanting  to  tramp  arter  two  strange 
womens,  right  into  the  devil's  own  camp,  made  me 
suspicion  your  whole  senses  had  gone  a  wolfing. 
Being  your  friend,  Freshwater,  I'm  sorry  fur  the  gal; 
but  ef  them  thar  'Kappahoes  has  got  her,  thar's  no 
help  for't — she'd  better  been  dead  fust." 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  my  feelings,  when  I 
found  there  was  no  hope  of  my  ever  beholding  Adele 


204:  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

again.  It  was  as  if  one  bright  joy  had  been  for  ever 
removed  from  the  sum  total  of  life.  Now,  for  the 
first  time,  I  realized  how  strong  was  that  attachment 
which  I  had  termed  friendship.  Was  it  mere  friend 
ship  ?  or  was  it  love  ?  I  began  to  doubt  if  I  properly 
knew  my  own  heart — but  time,  I  knew,  would  show. 

"  You  see,"  said  I,  sadly,  turning  to  Yarney,  "  I 
have  no  object  in  hurrying  forward  now,  and  so  I  will 
remain  with  you." 

He  grasped  my  hand,  and  tears  filled  his  eyes. 

"  You  give  me  new  life,  my  dear  friend,"  he  re 
plied.  "  I  should  be  miserable  without  you — though, 
for  your  happiness,  I  feigned  a  willingness  to  make 
the  sacrifice." 

"  Poor  Adele!"  I  sighed. 

"  Roland,  you  love  her,"  he  whispered,  "  and  I  pity 
you." 

"  She  was  good  and  beautiful,  Alfred  ;  and  since  I 
have  lost  her,  I  feel  that  one  bright  hope  has  been 
struck  from  existence.  Is  that  love,  Yarney  ?" 

"  It  is  akin  to  it,  at  least,"  he  said ;  and  as  he 
spoke,  he  cast  his  eyes  upward,  with  an  air  of  ab 
straction,  and  sighed. 

"  You  are  thinking  of  her  you  love  ?"  said  I. 

"  Yes,  Roland,  I  am  thinking  of  my  sweet  Mary — 
shall  I  ever  behold  her  again  ?" 

"  You  have  hope,"  said  I. 

"Else  would  life  be  valueless,"  he  rejoined.  "I  am 
thinking,  that  were  she  lost  to  me  forever,  as  perhaps 
Adele  is  to  you,  not  only  one  bright  hope,  but  all 


ON    THE     GRAND     PRAIRIES.  205 

hopes,  ends  and  aims  would  be  struck  from  my  exist 
ence,  which  would  then  be  a  blank  indeed." 

"  Yours  is  certainly  true  love,"  said  I ;  "  but  I  can 
not  say  I  have  the  same  feelings ;  though,  Heaven 
knows,  just  now  I  feel  quite  wretched.  Little  did  I 
think,  when  I  parted  from  that  poor  girl,  in  whom  I 
took  so  deep  an  interest,  that  such  a  horrible  fate 
awaited  her,  and  that  I  should  never  behold  her  again. 
Better,  far  better  for  her,  had  the  ball,  which  I  lodged 
in  Loyola's  breast,  been  sent  to  her  heart ;  for  I  am  sure 
her  gentle  spirit  would  have  found  its  way  to  Para 
dise,  and  thus  she  would  have  escaped  an  earthly 
doom  which  makes  me  shudder  to  contemplate.  And 
Loyola  is  dead  1  How  much  had  I  to  do  in  shorten 
ing  his  days?  Ah!  the  whole  subject  is  painful — let 
me  not  dwell  upon  it.  Corne,  Yarney,  since  we  are 
to  travel  no  further  in  the  company  of  the  trappers, 
let  us  settle  with  them,  and  talk  over  other  plans — it 
will  at  least  be  a  temporary  relief  to  my  mind.  If  it 
were  not  for  you,  my  friend,  I  would  turn  back,  and 
make  glad  the  hearts  of  my  parents.  Oh !  Yarney, 
just  now  I  am  very,  very  wretched." 

"  I  perceive  you  are,"  rejoined  Yarney,  in  a  tone  of 
deep  feeling;  "  and  as  I  love  you,  my  friend,  I  must 
counsel  you  for  the  best.  Do  not  make  further  sacri 
fice  for  me ;  but  if  you  feel  you  are  doing  wrong,  in 
going  forward  on  this  perilous  journey,  return  at 
once  to  those  who  have  more  claim  upon  you  than  I. 
I  ahall  always  feel  grateful  for  the  kindness  you  have 
shown  to  one  who  may  never  be  able  to  repay  you ; 


206  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

but  much  as  I  prize  your  companionship,  I  would 
not,  for  the  world,  that  on  my  account  you  should  do 
that  which  will  cause  you  future  regret." 

"Say  no  more!"  I  replied — "I  arn  going  with  you. 
You  have  succeeded,  during  our  brief  acquaintance, 
in  twining  yourself  about  my  heart ;  and  come  what 
come  may,  a  friend  in  your  extremity  I  will  not  de 
sert." 

"  Thank  you,  and  may  God  reward  you !"  said 
Varney,  in  a  tremulous  tone ;  and  he  turned  his  head 
away  to  conceal  his  emotion. 

Better  at  first  declined  taking  any  pay  for  the  time 
he  had  lost  in  traveling  to  suit  our  convenience.  He 
said  that  as  he  was  the  first  to  break  the  bargain,  he 
was  willing  to  consider  the  matter  square ;  and  that 
we  had  a  better  right  to  complain  of  our  disappoint 
ment  than  to  pay  for  it.  But  I  insisted  on  remune 
rating  him,  because  his  time  was  valuable,  and  he  had 
really  been  very  kind  and  obliging,  which  was  not  to 
be  offset  by  the  disagreeable  churlishness  of  his 
partner. 

"  Wall,"  he  said  at  last,  with  a  mischievous  grin, 
and  twinkle  of  his  dark  eye,  "I  reckon,  Freshwater, 
you  sort  o'  does  owe  this  hyer  old  beaver  a  wet  to 
Bent's,  fur  not  fetching  in  ary  deer — to  say  nothing 
to  hitting  a  tree  to  a  hundred  yard — eh  I  boy  ?" 

UI  certainly  do,  Sam ;  and  as  you  were  to  call  up 
all  your  friends,  you  know,  I  am  sure  twenty-five  dol 
lars  will  not  be  too  large  an  appropriation  for  that 


ON    THE     GRAND     PR  A  IKIES.  207 

interesting  occasion,  at  which  I  had  hoped  to  be  pre 
sent." 

"  Chaw  me,  boy,  but  I  wish  you  was  gwine  to  be 
thar — fur  this  hyer  old  hoss  likes  you  jam  up ;  but 
them  thar  twenty-five  shiners  is  too  much — bekase, 
ef  me  and  Wolfy's  got  to  wet  'em  out,  there'll  be  two 

lazy,  drunken  loafers  fur  a  week.  Eh  !  Wolfy, 

coon  ?" 

"  Oh,  take  the  money;  without  no  sich  pala 
ver  1"  growled  Stericks.  l<  We've  'arned  it,  by  the 
hardest  work  I  ever  done  to  my  life." 

"  Then  s'pose  you  take  it,  and  shut  your  ugly  meat- 
trap  1"  cried  Botter,  indignantly.  And  as  I  put  the 
specie  into  his  hand,  he  gave  it  an  angry  toss  to  his 
partner — muttering,  in  an  undertone :  "  Some  two- 
legged  critters  is  more  hog  nor  human — ef  they  ain't, 
why  war  decency  diskivered  ?  Augh  !" 

Saying  this,  he  turned  short  about,  and  walked 
away — but  soon  came  back,  and  called  me  aside. 

"Freshwater,"  he  said,  "you  musn't  take  me  fur 
"Wolfy,  nor  Wolfy  for  One-Eyed  Sam,  when  you  kim 
to  think  over  your  fust  tramp.  He's  got  some  good 
streaks,  has  Wolfy — and  this  hyer  old  nigger's  got 

some bad  ones — and  so,  not  being  jest  alike,  I 

want  you  to  keep  me  and  him  from  gitting  mixed  up 
like  to  your  thinking  noddle." 

"  I  certaioly  shall  do  that,  without  the  least  diffi 
culty,"  I  replied.  "  I  shall  always  remember  you  as 
one  it  would  give  me  pleasure  to  meet  again,  either  in 


208  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

the  settlements  or  in  the  wilderness — but  your  com 
panion " 

"  Wall,  thar,  Freshwater,  s'pose  you  quit  to  the 
good  word,  and  leave  Wolfy  go — far  I  sees  a  sign  in 
your  eye,  that  you'll  say  some'at  as  I  wouldn't  like  to 
hear,  being  his  friend  like,  ye  see." 

"  Better,"  said  I,  grasping  his  hard,  horny,  weather- 
stained  hand,  "would  to  Heaven  there  were  more  like 
you  in  the  world !" 

"  What !  more  sich  chawed-up,  slashed-up,  nose- 
bitten,  cheek-bored,  one-eyed  old  niggers  like  to  me, 
hey?" 

"Even  so — if,  under  their  rough  exteriors,  a  heart 
could  be  found  like  yours." 

"  Wall,  you  won't  find  nary  sich  chopped-up  hu 
man  agin — you  kin  gamble  on  to  that,"  returned  the 
old  trapper.  "  As  to  the  heart,  Freshwater,  I  reckon 
the  less  said  about  that  thar  ar'  the  best.  I  knows 
I've  got  some  decent  feelings — but  the  devil  gits  into 
me  at  times,  and  then  I  mought  be  prayed  for  a  heap. 
Augh!" 

We  spent  the  night  in  our  tent,  in  the  trappers7 
camp  ;  and  the  next  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  I  took 
leave  of  Better,  who  expressed  the  hope  that  we 
should  meet  again.  I  saw  him  mount  his  horse  and 
depart,  with  feelings  of  regret ;  for  I  had  got  accus 
tomed  to  his  ways — and,  rough  and  uneducated  as  he 
was,  I  liked  him. 

The  new  day,  like  those  which  had  preceded  it,  was 
bright  and  beautiful.  The  sun  rose  golden  in  the  east, 


ON    THE     GRAND     PRAIRIES.  209 

and  the  birds,  squirrels  and  insects  surrounded  us 
with  happy  life,  and  filled  the  air  with  happy  songs. 
Yarney,  too,  made  his  appearance  in  good  spirits,  and 
seemed  stronger  and  more  animated  than  at  any  time 
since  our  acquaintance;  and  this  had  a  revivifying 
effect  upon  me,  who  might  otherwise  have  been  quite 
despondent.  What  with  dividing  my  thoughts,  strange 
as  it  may  seem,  between  poor  Adele  and  my  parents, 
I  had  slept  but  little  through  the  night ;  and  had  my 
friend  risen  gloomy  and  dispirited,  and  the  morning 
been  cloudy  and  unpropitious,  I  do  believe  I  should 
have  been  tempted,  in  spite  of  my  resolution  to  the 
contrary,  to  turn  my  steps  homeward — so  much  are 
we,  impressible  beings  the  best  of  us,  affected  inter 
nally  by  external  surroundings. 

'Ah!"  said  Yarney,  cheerfully,  with  an  animated 
glow,  as  his  eye  wandered  around  the  grove — "this 
seems  like  living  indeed !  So,  the  trappers  are  gone  ? 
"Well,  I  am  not  sorry.  I  liked  Botter ;  but  his  surly 
companion  constantly  impressed  me  with  dread — a 
kind  of  indefinite  fear — and  I  am  glad  to  be  relieved 
of  his  presence." 

"  Come,"  said  I,  "  let  us  go  down  to  the  traders' 
camp,  get  another  civilized  meal,  and  see  if  we  can 
gather  any  interesting  news." 

Not  to  enter  too  much  into  detail  of  that  which  can 
be  of  no  special  interest  to  the  reader,  I  will  merely 
remark,  that  we  remained  two  days  at  Council  Grove ; 
when,  to  our  great  delight,  a  military  company,  having 
in  charge  a  small  train  of  wagons,  passed  through  the 
12 


2Kb  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

place,  on  their  way  from  Fort  Leavenworth  to  Bent's 
Fort.  The  commander  of  the  company,  whom  I  will 
term  Lieutenant  Parker,  being  a  very  gentlemanly 
and  obliging  individual,  we  had  no  difficulty  in  making 
suitable  arrangements  to  go  out  with  him.  We  took 
our  animals,  tent,  and  all  our  camp  materials  along ; 
and  Yarney  had  the  privilege  of  riding  on  horseback, 
and  in  one  of  the  wagons,  and  changing  from  one  to 
the  other  as  often  as  suited  his  pleasure,  while  the 
lieutenant  took  care  that  we  both  fared  as  well  as 
himself. 

"We  now  journeyed  much  faster  than  before  ;  and 
there  being  some  fifty  of  us  in  all,  we  felt  perfectly 
safe  from  Indian  molestation  ;  and  had  the  weather 
proved  fine,  we  should  have  had  a  few  days  of 
agreeable  traveling ;  but  during  the  afternoon  of  the 
first  day,  it  set  in  to  rain — and  continued,  with  very 
little  intermission,  for  three  or  four  days — swelling 
all  the  streams  on  our  route,  making  the  road  in 
many  places  muddy  and  miry,  and  causing  the  horses 
and  mules  to  chafe  under  the  saddle  and  in  the 
harness. 

Yarney,  much  to  my  relief  of  mind,  did  not  appear 
to  suffer  from  the  unpleasant  change  of  weather  ;  but 
he  took  care  not  to  expose  himself  needlessly,  and  to 
keep  himself  as  dry  as  possible,  under  cover  of  the 
•wagon,  in  which  he  now  rode  altogether,  (letting  his 
horse  follow,)  and  which  at  night  served  him  for  a 

tent. 

Our  first  military  camp  was  at  Diamond  Spring, 


ON     THE    GRAND     PRAIRIES.  211 

about  twenty  miles  from  Council  Grove.  This  is  a 
spring  of  clear,  cold  water,  some  three  or  four  feet 
across,  and  is  a  noted  stopping-place  for  caravans, 
either  going  out  or  coming  in.  The  second  day  we 
started  early,  and  pushed  rapidly  forward,  through 
the  constantly  falling  rain,  and  camped,  just  before 
dark,  on  Cottonwood  Fork,  a  distance  of  some  thirty 
miles  from  Diamond  Spring.  The  third  day — I  date, 
of  course,  from  the  time  of  our  joining  the  company 
— we  found  our  animals  so  chafed  and  fatigued,  that 
we  made  only  a  short  march,  and  encamped,  about 
noon,  on  Turkey  Creek. 

This  was  the  spot  to  excite  in  me  the  most  pain 
ful  emotions;  for  here  it  was  the  fight  had  occurred, 
in  which  Loyola  had  met  his  death,  and  Adele  been 
taken  prisoner.  I  looked  around,  with  a  sad  heart, 
and  shuddered  to  think  upon  the  awful  fate  of  the 
poor  girl,  who  might  never  know  the  blessings  of 
happiness  in  her  weary  journey  through  life.  Her 
early  years  had  been  passed  in  what  might  well  be 
termed  misery — but  these,  in  comparison  with  her 
present  doom,  might  seem  as  sunny  hours  to  a  long 
night  of  tempest.  And  would  her  present  night  of 
wretchedness  ever  have  a  morn  in  life  ?  or  was  it  her 
hard  destiny  to  groan  on,  in  desolate  wo,  till  her 
bright  spirit  should  float  to  its  heavenly  home  beyond 
the  dark  river  of  death?  Was  there  no  hope  for 
her  ?  was  there  no  friendly  hand  to  be  stretched  to 
her  relief?  Should  I,  who  had  vowed  to  protect  her, 
go  quietly  on  my  way,  and  allow  her  to  suffer? 


212  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"Was  I  always  to  think  of  her  as  one  doomed  to  a 
hopeless  slavery,  among  a  race  of  savages,  and  make 
no  attempt  to  save  her?  No!  my  soul  revolted  at 
the  thought ;  and  should  nothing  intervene  in  her 
favor,  I  solemnly  resolved,  soon  or  late,  to  make  one 
attempt  to  rescue  her — even  if  compelled  to  go  alone, 
and  unaided,  into  the  very  jaws,  as  it  were,  of  a  most 
horrible  death. 

But  it  was  not  my  intention  to  pursue  a  rash  or 
perilous  course,  if  I  could  avoid  it.  I  was  resolved 
that  Adele,  if  living  a  prisoner  among  the  Indians, 
should  be  restored  to  civilized  life ;  I  was  resolved, 
should  all  other  means  fail,  to  do  for  her  all  that  one 
man  could  do,  ere  I  turned  my  face  homeward;  but 
I  had  no  romantic  ideas  of  performing  wonderful 
feats,  like  the  knights  of  old,  merely  to  display  my 
heroism  and  devotion.  I  would  not  rush  into  peril 
for  peril's  sake — nor  was  I  particularly  desirous  that 
she  should  owe  her  liberty  to  me  more  than  another. 
My  prime  object  was  her  restoration  to  civilization : 
the  means  and  manner  of  her  deliverance,  and  by 
whom  performed,  were  of  secondary  importance. 

I  had  strong  hopes,  too,  this  might  be  effected 
without  my  personal  assistance — for  I  had  laid  the 
whole  matter  before  Lieutenant  Parker,  and  he  had 
promised  to  report  to  his  superior  officer,  and  thought 
it  not  unlikely  a  force  might  be  sent  against  the  tribe 
in  question,  to  chastise  them  for  their  presumption, 
and  snatch  their  ill-fated  victims  from  their  remorse 
less  grasp.  But  besides  all  this,  my  first  duty  was  to 


ON     THE     GKAND    PBAIEIES.  213 

remain  with  my  sick  companion ;  and  I  was  now 
determined  not  to  part  from  him  till  there  should 
come  a  change,  either  for  better  or  worse — till,  in 
fact,  I  could  leave  him  on  the  road  to  health,  or  know 
his  spirit  had  passed  the  portals  of  death. 

We  were  now,  it  could  be  said,  fairly  upon  the 
margin  of  the  Grand  Prairies.  The  rolling  and  par 
tially-timbered  lands,  had  gradually  given  place  to 
the  flat  and  arid-looking  plains,  that  stretch  away, 
northward  and  westward,  for  hundreds  of  miles — to 
the  very  base,  in  fact,  of  that  grand,  rocky  chain 
which  divides  the  rivers  of  the  Atlantic  from  the 
Pacific.  No  longer  were  our  eyes  to  be  greeted  with 
the  tall  green  blade  and  bright  flowers ;  but,  in  place, 
we  were  to  have  the  short,  brown  buffalo  grass,  thinly 
planted,  and  looking  withered  by  contrast — though 
really  sweeter  and  more  nutritious,  I  was  told,  than 
the  ranker  and  more  beautiful  vegetation.  No  longer 
were  we  to  be  delighted  with  stately  groves,  along  the 
banks  of  purling  streams,  with  gay  birds  singing  in 
their  green  branches,  and  blithe  squirrels  hopping 
from  limb  to  limb,  and  darting  up  and  down  their 
stately  trunks ;  but,  in  place,  we  were  to  have  deep, 
sunken,  muddy,  sluggish  creeks,  and  a  dull,  monoto 
nous  view,  unrelieved  by  a  single  tree,  shrub,  or 
bush.  Turkey  Creek  was  entirely  bare  of  timber ; 
and  it  was  only  with  great  labor,  and  a  search  far  and 
wide,  that  sufficient  fuel  could  be  collected  for  culi 
nary  purposes. 

But   as   a  compensation,  if  I  may  so  term  it,  for 


214  THE    BOEDER    EOVER. 

the  beauties  of  the  country  left  behind  us,  we  were 
now  entering  upon  the  Paradise  of  hunters,  the  grand 
buffalo  range,  where  these  formidable-looking  animals 
may  be  seen  in  droves  of  millions,  covering  the  earth 
for  miles  on  miles  beyond  the  reach  of  sight.  As  yet 
we  had  seen  none  of  the  living  ;  but  here  and  there 
were  old  wallows — that  is,  places  where  the  animal, 
lying  on  its  side,  as  its  wont,  and  using  its  feet  to  turn 
itself  round  and  round,  has  formed  a  cavity  in  the 
yielding  soil — here  and  there,  I  say,  were  old  wallows, 
and  grinning  skulls,  and  decaying  bones,  showing  that 
once  their  range  had  been  here  and  eastward,  and 
giving  us  an  inkling  of  what  we  might  shortly  expect 
to  behold. 

Toward  evening  the  rain  ceased ;  but  the  air  be 
coming  sultry  and  oppressive,  I  resolved  to  sleep  on 
the  ground  under  cover  of  my  tent.  I  chose  the 
ground  there,  because  of  its  being  drier,  while  I  could 
have  all  the  advantage  of  a  chance  breeze,  as  my  can 
vas  covering  did  not  reach  quite  to  the  earth.  Soon 
after  dark,  I  picketed  my  animals,  and,  being  very 
tired,  threw  off  my  clothes  and  laid  down  on  one  of 
my  blankets,  with  the  other  at  hand  to  cover  me  in 
case  of  a  sudden  change  of  temperature  during  the 
night.  For  some  time  I  laid  awake,  troubled  with 
painful  thoughts ;  but  gradually  my  senses  sunk  into 
a  doze  ;  and,  soon  after,  a  deep,  dreamless  sleep  suc 
ceeded. 

About  midnight  I  was  awakened  by  a  stunning  clap 
of  thunder.  I  was  lying  on  my  back,  uncovered,  and 


A    NIGHT    TO    BE    KEMEMBEEED.        215 

felt  chilly — for  the  rain  was  beating  furiously  against 
my  tent,  and  quite  a  puddle  of  water  had  begun  to 
form  against  my  side — but  as  I  attempted  to  rise, 
there  came  another  vivid  flash  of  lightning — and, 
horror  of  horrors  !  by  its  searching  light  I  beheld  an 
enormous  rattlesnake  nestled  close  to  my  feet.  My 
movement  had  aroused  him,  so  that  I  saw  his  arched 
neck  and  fiery  eyes ;  and,  almost  at  the  same  instant, 
he  gave  his  warning  signal,  and  struck.  I  felt  the 
blow  against  my  foot;  and  not  doubting  that  his 
deadly  fangs  had  lacerated  the  flesh,  I  started  up, 
with  a  piercing  yell  of  terror,  and  rushed  forth  from 
the  tent,  more  mad  than  sane. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A     NIGHT    TO     BE     REMEMBERED. 

INSTANTLY  the  whole  camp  was  alarmed.  Men 
started  up  in  every  direction,  shouting  "  Indians ! 
Indians  1"  and  for  a  few  minutes  a  scene  of  the  wildest 
confusion  prevailed.  As  soon  as  I  could  make  a  few 
of  them  understand  what  had  occurred,  order  began 
to  be  restored ;  and  Lieutenant  Parker,  seizing  me  by 
the  arm,  and  a  dark  lantern  which  hung  in  one  of  the 
wagons,  hurried  me  into  the  tent,  and  ordered  one  of 
his  men  to  fetch  a  gallon  of  whiskey  with  the  utmost 
despatch. 


216  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  lie  exclaimed,  in  an  excited 
tone,  "  where  is  it  ?  where  is  the  wound  ?  we  must 
burn  it  out  at  once  !" 

"  Quick  I"  cried  I— "  do  what  you  can  !  Oh,  God ! 
to  die  such  a  death !"  and  I  threw  myself  down  upon 
the  blanket,  and  pointed  to  my  foot. 

He  held  the  light  to  it  a  moment,  and  exclaimed : 

"  Quick  !  the  other  foot !  you  have  made  a  mistake 
— there  is  no  wound  here." 

"  No !"  said  I— -"  that  is  where  I  felt  the  blow." 

At  this  moment  Yarney  burst  into  the  tent,  and, 
dropping  upon  his  knees  by  my  side,  seized  my  hand, 
and  fairly  gasped : 

"  Great  God !  Eoland,  are  you  bit  ?  have  you 
received  your  death- wound  ?" 

"  I  fear  so,  my  dear  friend,"  I  answered,  in  as  calm 
a  tone  as  I  could  command.  "  Your  prospects  of  life 
are  better  than  mine  now." 

"  Oh !  say  not  so !  You  will  get  over  it — you 
must,  dear  Eoland !  Great  God,  do  not,  in  Thy 
mercy,  snatch  him  away  thus  suddenly !" 

"  There  is  no  wound,"  said  Parker,  in  that  peculiar 
tone  which  shows  that  the  mind  of  the  speaker  is 
suddenly  relieved  of  great  anxiety.  "  You  were 
dreaming,  perhaps  !" 

"  No !"  said  I,  examining  my  foot,  with  feelings  of 
joy  and  gratitude  no  language  can  express :  "  I  was 
not  dreaming — it  was  a  horrible  reality ;  so  horrible, 
indeed,  that  the  very  recollection  of  it  makes  me  shud 
der  and  grow  sick.  I  saw  the  reptile,  by  a  bright 


A    NIGHT    TO    BE    REMEMBERED.         217 

flash  of  lightning,  as  distinctly  as  I  see  you  now;  and 
I  heard  his  rattle,  and  felt  the  blow  of  his  fangs." 

"  It  is  very  strange!  there  is  no  wound  to  be  seen !" 
said  the  lieutenant.  "  Are  you  sure  this  is  the  place 
where  he  struck  ?" 

"Yes,  I  am  certain." 

He  mused  a  moment,  and  added  : 

"  How  were  you  lying  ?" 

"  On  my  back.'' 

"  Please  to  take  the  same  position  again." 

I  did  so. 

"Now  where  did  you  see  the  snake?" 

"  Just  where  you  stand." 

"I  have  it!"  he  said,  stooping  and  throwing  a  cor 
ner  of  the  blanket  against  my  foot.  "  The  snake  was 
here,  and  struck  there.  It  was  your  blanket  that 
saved  you." 

"  Whatever  it  was,"  said  I,  solemnly,  "  I  humbly 
thank  God  for  my  almost  miraculous  preservation ;" 
and  so  overcome  was  I,  at  the  reflection  of  what  might 
have  been  my  fate,  that  I  shed  tears  freely. 

"  These  venomous  reptiles  are  very  abundant  in  this 
part  of  the  country,"  pursued  the  lieutenant ;  "  and  it 
is  very  dangerous  to  sleep  on  the  ground,  unless  com 
pletely  covered  by  a  blanket.  I  congratulate  you  on 
your  wonderful  escape.  For  the  future,  you  had  better 
swing  your  hammock,  or  get  into  the  wagon  with  your 
friend." 

"I  shall  not  soon  forget  your  kindness,"  said  I, 
taking  his  hand  ;  "for  had  I  really  been  poisoned,  aa 


218  THE    BORDEB    ROVER. 

I  had  every  reason  to  believe,  when  I  alarmed  the 
camp,  I  think,  if  in  human  power,  you  would  have 
saved  my  life." 

"  I  should  have  done  what  I  could,"  he  replied ;  "but 
had  any  of  the  virus  entered  a  blood-vessel,  and  been 
carried  to  the  heart,  it  is  certain  you  would  never 
have  returned  to  the  States  alive.  You  have  indeed 
had  a  narrow  escape ;  and  if  you  go  to  the  mountains 
and  return,  you  will  doubtless  have  many  more — for 
this  is  a  country  of  peril,  and  no  one  can  say  his  life  is 
his  own  from  one  hour  to  another.  Ah !  what  light 
ning  we  have  out  here  1 "  he  continued,  as  a  sudden 
flash  fairly  blinded  us,  followed  instantly  by  a  crash 
of  thunder  that  seemed  to  lift  us  from  our  feet.  "  How 
the  storm  rages  !  Hark !  what  cry  is  that  ?" 

The  cry  alluded  to  came  from  without,  and  was 
instantly  repeated,  announcing  the  startling  fact  that 
one  of  the  men  had  been  struck  by  lightning.  We 
all  hurried  from  the  tent  into  the  beating  storm,  and 
found  a  poor  fellow  stretched  on  the  ground,  by  one 
of  the  wagons,  to  all  appearance  dead.  The  wagon 
itself— the  same  which  Varney  had  occupied  a  few 
minutes  before — was  much  shattered ;  and  the  very 
spot  where  he  had  been  lying,  when  my  cry  of  terror 
aroused  him,  was  literally  torn  into  splinters.  As 
soon  as  he  became  conscious  of  this  fact,  he  grasped 
my  hand  nervously,  and  in  a  tone  made  tremulous  by 
deep  emotions,  exclaimed : 

"How  mysterious  are  the  ways  of  Providence! 


A    NIGHT    TO    BE    REMEMBERED.         219 

Your  peril,  Roland,  and  its  consequences,  have  been 
the  means  of  saving  my  life!" 

"  Which  you  may  lose  in  another  manner,  if  you 
do  not  seek  shelter  from  this  furious  storm  I"  said  I, 
anxiously. 

"  God  is  over  all,  and  rules  all  for  the  best !"  he  re 
joined,  with  great  solemnity;  "and  after  what  has 
happened  to-night,  we  should  not  fear  to  trust  to  His 
protection !  But  as  we  can  render  no  assistance  here, 
we  may  as  well  return  to  our  tent." 

We  left  Lieutenant  Parker,  with  several  of  his  men, 
busy  over  the  body  of  the  unfortunate  soldier,  trying 
to  restore  him  to  life ;  but  just  as  we  reached  our  tent, 
a  fierce  gust  wrenched  it  from  its  fastenings,  and  sent 
it  whirling  through  the  air. 

"  Great  Heaven  !  what  a  night !"  cried  Yarney ;  and 
he  had  scarcely  uttered  the  words,  when  we  heard 
several  fierce  neighs,  and  heavy  trampling  sounds, 
followed  by  a  loud  shout,  above  the  roar  of  the 
storm : 

"  A  stampede !  a  stampede !  the  animals  have 
broken  loose !" 

"  There  go  our  horses  and  mule !"  exclaimed  Yar 
ney  ;  "what  next?" 

"  Heaven  only  knows  I"  said  I.  "  We  have  lost  our 
animals,  and  tent,  and  my  clothes ;  and  here  we  both 
stand,  almost  as  naked  as  when  we  came  into  the 
world." 

In  fact,  I  only  had  on  me  a  flannel  shirt,  with  a 
belt  underneath,  in  which  was  secured  my  money — 


220  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

all  the  rest  of  my  wearing  apparel,  hanging  in  my 
tent  at  the  time  of  its  demolition,  having  been  carried 
I  knew  not  whither.  I  say  all ;  but  I  had  another 
suit  in  my  mule-pack,  which  fortunately  had  been 
thrown  into  one  of  the  wagons;  and  I  now  made 
search  for  it  in  the  darkness  and  confusion  which  pre 
vailed.  We  found  the  wagon,  and  both  got  into  it, 
glad  to  escape  from  the  chilling  winds  and  merciless 
peltings  of  the  tornado-driven  rain. 

For  two  hours  the  winds  blew,  the  lightnings 
flashed,  the  thunders  crashed  and  roared,  and  the 
rain  fell  in  torrents;  and  then  the  storm  ceased  its 
fury,  and  gradually  disappeared  to  the  eastward, 
leaving  the  atmosphere  at  least  thirty  degrees  colder 
than  at  the  going  clown  of  the  sun.  With  what  joy 
we  hailed  the  departure  of  the  storm,  mingled  with 
feelings  of  gratitude  for  the  wonderful  preservation 
of  our  lives  I  It  is  in  times  like  these  that  we  humbly 
feel  our  dependence  upon  an  All- wise  Power ;  and  the 
soul,  drawn  into  direct  communion  with  itself,  gives 
forth  an  offering  of  thankful  prayer,  which  must  be 
acceptable  to  Him  who  reigns  supreme  over  all,  and 
controls  alike  the  fate  of  millions  of  worlds  and  the 
smallest  atom  which  His  will,  wisdom  and  love  have 
brought  into  existence. 

Let  me  not  dwell  upon  the  incidents  of  that  event 
ful  night — for  there  is  enough  before  me,  of  a  more 
exciting,  thrilling,  and  even  painful  interest,  to 
occupy  the  space  I  have  allotted  to  my  narrative. 
Day  dawned  at  last,  as  bright  and  clear  as  if  the 


A    NIGHT    TO    BE    REMEMBERED.         221 

night  had  seen  no  tempest ;  and  we  hailed  the  light, 
as  a  weary  spirit  might  hail  a  messenger  of  glad  tid 
ings  from  a  better  world.  But  it  dawned  no  more 
for  him  who  had  that  night  felt  the  visitation  of  an 
inscrutable  Providence.  The  poor  fellow,  prostrated 
by  the  bolt  of  heaven,  slept  his  last  sleep;  and  his 
body  was  consigned  to  dust,  on  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  not  far  from  our  camp ;  and  the  news  of  his 
fate,  in  time,  went  home  to  his  friends,  and  carried 
sorrow  to  many  a  heart.  I  pitied  him  then — cut 
down,  without  warning,  in  the  very  bloom  of  life ; 
but  I  lived  to  see  a  timo  when  I  could  envy  his  fate, 
and  regret  the  chance  which  had  saved  me  from  the 
fangs  of  a  deadly  serpent. 

After  a  long  search,  most  of  the  animals  were  re 
covered — and,  among  them,  our  horses — but  our  mule 
we  never  saw  again.  I  found  our  tent  about  half  a  mile 
from  camp — but  in  such  a  wretched  condition  as  to 
cause  me  to  abandon  it  to  the  further  sport  of  the  ele 
ments.  I  also  recovered  my  garments,  which  had 
made  quite  a  journey  without  their  owner — but  I  could 
not  perceive  they  were  in  the  least  improved  by  tra 
veling  through  mud  and  rain  on  their  own  account. 
My  rifle  and  pistols  were  found  lying  on  the  ground 
where  our  tent  had  stood — having,  through  my  ex 
citement,  been  forgotten  till  morning — but  they  were 
in  a  condition  to  require  considerable  labor  to  again 
fit  them  for  use. 

It  was  not  till  noon  that  we  were  prepared  to  break 
up  our  camp  and  resume  our  march  ;  but  once  under 


222  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

way  again,  and  the  day  being  fine,  we  pushed  rapidly 
forward,  and  reached  the  Little  Arkansas  about  dark. 
Here  we  found  some  large  elms,  and  box  elder,  and 
were  able  to  procure  fuel,  without  difficulty,  to  cook 
our  meals ;  which  principally  consisted  of  coffee, 
sweetened  with  sugar,  and  stakes  from  a  freshly- 
slaughtered  beef,  several  of  which  were  driven  over 
the  route  to  serve  in  case  of  need. 

This  stream,  the  Little  Arkansas,  is  a  tributary  of 
the  river  of  the  same  name,  and  is  usually  about  six 
or  eight  feet  wide,  and  some  four  or  five  inches  in 
depth  ;  but  at  this  time  it  was  much  swollen  by  the 
late  rains,  though  not  sufficiently  so  to  render  it  diffi 
cult  to  ford.  By  invitation  of  Lieutenant  Parker,  I 
slept  in  the  wagon  with  my  friend — who,  I  may  re 
mark,  had  not  suffered  from  the  drenching  of  the 
night  before,  as  I  had  feared  at  the  time  he  would. 
In  fact,  Yarney  considered  that,  on  the  whole,  he 
had  improved  in  health  since  leaving  Independence — 
and  this  we  both  acknowledged  to  be  quite  encour 
aging. 

"  If  I  can  only  hold  out  till  I  reach  the  mountains, 
my  dear  friend,"  he  said,  "  something  tells  me  I  shall 
yet  recover  to  return  to  her  I  love." 

"God  grant  it!"  said  I;  "and  may  the  happiness 
of  the  future  compensate  you  for  all  the  sorrows  and 
sufferings  of  the  past !" 

"  You  are  the  most  unselfish  friend  I  ever  met !"  he 
added,  with  feeling. 


A    NIGHT    TO    BE    REMEMBERED.        223 

"  Because  I  wish  you  well,  Alfred  ?  Surely,  no 
friend  would  do  less." 

"  No,  not  altogether  that;  but  because,  at  all  times, 
you  seem  to  study  iny  happiness  rather  tKan  your 
own." 

"  Because,  being  your  friend,  my  own  happiness  is, 
to  a  certain  degree,  bound  up  in  yours,"  said  I. 

"  Well,  I  only  hope  I  may  live  to  repay  you." 

The  next  morning  we  made  an  early  start ;  and 
scarcely  were  we  under  way,  when  we  espied  several 
antelopes  feeding  at  no  great  distance  ;  but  on  seeing 
us  they  fled,  before  any  of  our  party  could  get  near 
enough  for  a  shot.  On  our  journey  to-day,  we  saw 
several  fresh  signs  of  buffalo,  but  did  not  get  a  sight 
of  one  of  the  animals.  Early  in  the  afternoon  we 
reached  Cow  Creek,  which  we  found  difficult  to  cross, 
on  account  of  high  water  and  its  muddy  bottom.  Tn 
fact,  it  was  some  three  hours  before  all  the  wagons 
were  got  safely  over,  and  then  we  camped  on  its 
western  bank. 

On  the  following  day  we  came  upon  a  small  drove 
of  buffaloes,  the  first  I  had  ever  seen  ;  and  as  it  was 
resolved  that  we  should  kill  a  few  for  meat,  I  joined 
the  party  that  went  in  pursuit. 

The  ordinary  method  of  killing  this  unwieldly 
animal,  is  to  ride  into  the  very  centre  of  a  drove, 
single  out  the  fattest,  and  begin  the  work  of  slaughter 
by  discharging  holster  pistols  into  his  side,  near  the 
brisket,  till  he  falls.  Sometimes  the  buffalo,  especi 
ally  if  a  bull,  will  run  a  long  distance,  and  require  an 


224  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

immense  deal  of  shooting,  before  he  will  succumb  to 
his  fate ;  and  so,  when  mounted,  the  worrying  down 
of  the  unfortunate  animal  is  by  some  considered  very 
excellent  sport.  I  did  not  find  it  so — for  I  sympa 
thized  too  much  with  the  poor  brute  to  take  any 
pleasure  in  the  exciting  chase ;  and  so,  after  killing 
one,  by  way  of  experiment,  I  returned  to  the  train, 
resolved  to  shoot  no  more,  unless  the  flesh  were  actu 
ally  required  for  food. 

On  our  journey  to-day,  we  passed  through  a  large 
village  of  prairie-dogs,  in  which  both  Varney  and 
myself  became  exceedingly  interested.  This  is  a  small, 
brown  animal,  with  a  head  not  unlike  a  terrier  pup, 
and  a  short,  stumpy  tail,  which,  when  excited,  he 
keeps  in  constant  motion.  They  select  for  the  site  of 
their  village,  or  town,  a  large  level  of  sandy  soil ;  and 
their  dwellings  are  made  by  throwing  up  the  earth, 
in  a  conical  shape,  to  a  height  of  two  or  three  feet, 
and  having  a  hole  in  the  apex,  or  summit,  which 
descends  vertically  to  the  base,  and  thence  obliquely, 
for  a  considerable  distance,  into  the  earth.  These 
earthen  houses  are  constructed  with  so  much  order 
and  regularity  as  to  give  the  spaces  between  them 
the  appearance  of  streets,  and  not  unfrequently  they 
cover  an  area  of  several  miles  in  extent.  Owls  and 
rattlesnakes  are  their  companions — the  former  hop 
ping  about  at  twilight,  and  feeding  upon  camelions 
and  lizards,  and  the  latter  not  scrupling  to  fill  their 
maws  with  the  young,  fat  pups  of  their  hospitable 
entertainers.  On  the  approach  of  danger,  the  dogs 


A    NIGHT    TO    BE    REMEMBERED.        225 

run  into  their  holes,  and  then  thrust  forth  their  heads, 
and  set  up  a  series  of  sharp,  squeaking  barks. 
"When  the  danger  becomes  imminent,  they  retire 
from  sight  altogether ;  but  after  waiting  awhile  in 
silence,  they  peep  forth  very  cautiously ;  and  as  soon 
as  they  discover  the  coast  to  be  clear,  they  come  out 
chattering,  and  have  a  merry  time  of  it.  They  have 
laws  and  regulations,  which  they  strictly  enforce; 
and  a  big  dog,  in  the  centre  of  the  village,  appears 
to  be  chief  magistrate.  Altogether,  they  are  a  very 
interesting,  democratic  community  of  animals;  and 
it  might  not  be  amiss  for  here  and  there  some 
pompous,  over-fed  city  functionary  to  take  a  few 
lessons  of  true  republican  simplicity  even  from  them. 
Having  now  fairly  entered  upon  the  buffalo  range, 
we  found  these  animals  increasing  in  numbers  as  we 
progressed;  and  I  was  glad  to  hear  our  humane 
commander,  after  the  first  half-a-day's  sport,  issue 
peremptory  orders  against  their  wanton  destruction. 
Our  next  camp  was  upon  the  bank  of  the  Arkansas  ; 
and,  the  night  following,  upon  the  grand  prairie, 
within  a  mile  of  the  river,  whither  we  led  our 
animals  to  water,  and  from  which  we  brought  what 
was  needed  for  our  own  use.  Here,  as  not  a  splinter 
of  wood  could  be  found,  our  fires  were  made  of  "  lois 
de  vaclie"*  which,  when  dry,  proves  a  very  good 
substitute,  and  is  always  used  by  hunters  and  others 
on  the  open  plains.  As  this  was  known  to  be  a 

*  Literally,    "  wood  of  cow" — but,   appropriately,    "  buffalo 
manure." 
13 


226  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

dangerous  part  of  the  country,  our  wagons  were 
made  to  form  a  hollow  square — inside  of  which,  soon 
after  dark,  many  of  the  animals  were  driven — while 
the  others  were  picketed  close  around  outside,  and  a 
strong  guard  set. 

What  happened  the  reader  shall  see. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

ATTACKED   BY   INDIANS. 

THE  uight  set  in  cloudy,  and  the  clouds  gradually 
became  more  dense,  while  the  air  grew  cool  and  damp, 
an  almost  certain  precursor  of  rain.  I  crept  into  the 
wagon  with  Varney;  but  most  of  the  men  rolled 
themselves  in  their  blankets,  and  laid  down  on  the 
earth,  outside  of  the  hollow  square.  For  a  long  time 
I  laid  awake,  listening  to  the  dismal  bowlings  of  the 
prairie  wolves,  which  are  always  to  be  found  in  great 
numbers  on  the  buffalo  range,  lying  in  wait  to  kill 
and  devour  the  wounded  and  defenceless  cows  and 
calves.  The  expected  rain  had  begun  to  fall,  and  its 
gentle  patter  on  the  canvas  covering  of  the  wagon  had 
just  lulled  me  into  a  doze,  when  I  was  startled  by  the 
sharp,  successive  reports  of  three  or  four  rifles,  mingled 
with  the  cries  of  "  Indians  !  Indians  !"  and  the  fierce, 
unearthly  yells  of  a  large  body  of  savages. 

"  Heavens !  we  are  attacked !"  cried  Varney. 


ATTACKED    BY    INDIANS.  227 

"  Kemain  where  you  are !"  said  I,  hurriedly ;  "  you 
are  safer  here  than  elsewhere ;"  and,  having  laid  down 
with  my  clothes  on,  with  my  knife  and  pistols  in  my 
belt,  I  instantly  grasped  my  rifle,  powder-horn  and 
bullet-pouch,  and  leaped  to  the  ground  outside. 

I  was  now  in  the  midst  of  a  scene  of  the  wildest 
confusion ;  yells,  shouts,  and  the  reports  of  lire-arms 
filled  my  ears ;  men  were  running  to  and  fro  ;  horses 
were  neighing,  stamping,  kicking,  and  cattle  bellow 
ing  ;  but  it  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not  distinguish 
friend  from  foe,  and  therefore  I  stood  undetermined 
and  bewildered.  Suddenly  I  felt  something  encircle 
my  neck  with  a  snap — the  fire  flew  from  my  eyes — 
and  at  the  same  moment  I  was  jerked  to  the  earth,  and 
felt  myself  being  dragged  over  the  ground  with  great 
rapidity.  Not  being  deprived  of  consciousness,  I  knew 
at  once  what  had  occurred.  I  had  been  perceived  and 
lassoed*  by  a  mounted  Indian,  who  was  now  dragging 
me  by  the  neck  to  a  safe  distance,  for  the  purpose  of 
killing  and  scalping  me.  Fortunately  for  me,  the 
noose  had  passed  over  the  barrel  of  my  rifle,  in  front 
of  my  chin,  so  that  the  rope  drew  upon  the  back  of 
my  neck ;  while  the  tension  of  the  lasso,  as  the  horse 
dashed  away  at  great  speed,  kept  my  head  elevated 
above  the  earth ;  and  retaining  in  that  awful  moment 
my  presence  of  mind,  I  caught  the  rope  with  one  hand, 

*  The  lasso  is  a  long  rope,  generally  made  of  hide  or  hair,  with 
a  noose  at  one  end,  arid  is  thrown  with  great  precision,  by  Mexi 
cans  and  Indians,  over  the  head  of  the  object  they  wish  to  secure. 


228  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

and  held  to  it,  while  with  the  other  I  drew  my  knife 
and  cut  it  near  the  loop. 

I  was  now  released  from  the  most  imminent  peril, 
but  lay  half  dead  upon  the  ground,  listening  to  the 
clamor  behind  me,  and  thanking  God  for  my  almost 
miraculous  escape  from  sudden  death.  I  knew  I  was 
much  hurt,  but  I  hoped  not  mortally.  My  neck  was 
already  swelled,  and  began  to  grow  stiff,  and  felt  as  if 
it  had  been  twisted  once  round ;  my  body  was  much 
bruised,  and  my  legs  felt  as  if  the  skin  were  scraped 
off  in  spots  all  the  way  down  to  my  feet ;  but  I  was 
satisfied  there  were  no  bones  broken ;  and  if  not  in 
jured  internally,  I  had  every  reason  to  let  my  heart 
swell  with  gratitude  to  God  for  his  wonderful  Provi 
dence. 

But  setting  aside  all  my  injuries,  whether  trifling 
or  important,  my  position  was  still  one  of  great  peril. 
I  was  lying  on  the  open  prairie,  some  little  distance 
from  camp,  and  literally  surrounded  by  Indians — for 
I  could  hear  their  horses  darting  hither  and  thither  on. 
all  sides,  probably  chasing  and  securing  some  of  our 
animals,  which  they  had  put  to  flight — this,  of  course, 
being  their  principal  object  in  attacking  us — and 
every  moment  I  was  fearful  some  beast  would  tread 
upon  me.  I  gathered  myself  upon  my  hands  and 
knees,  ready  to  spring  aside  should  I  discover  a  horse 
advancing  directly  upon  me ;  but  I  made  no  effort  to 
return  to  camp ;  for,  aside  from  considering  myself  as 
safe  where  I  was,  I  did  not  feel  capable  of  any  great 


ATTACKED    BY    INDIANS.  229 

exertion,  and  had  no  desire  to  have  my  neck  again 
stretched  with  another  lasso. 

In  this  position,  some  two  or  three  minutes  passed ; 
and  I  was  listening  to  the  infernal  yells  of  the  savages 
— mingled  with  the  shouts  of  my  companions,  the 
reports  of  fire-arms,  and  other  sounds  of  conflict — 
when  I  was  startled  by  hearing  the  loud  snort  of  a 
horse  close  behind  me.  I  turned  my  eyes  in  that  di 
rection,  and,  after  a  sharp,  steady  look  into  the  dark 
ness,  I  fancied  I  could  perceive  a  still  darker  shadow 
moving  toward  me.  One  of  my  pistols  had  been  torn 
from  my  belt,  but  the  other  remained ;  and  grasping 
this  and  my  knife,  I  dropped  down  flat  upon  the  earth, 
with  my  eyes  steadily  fixed  upon  the  shadow,  which, 
as  it  drew  close  to  me,  I  could  perceive  assume  the 
figure  of  an  Indian. 

At  first  I  was  surprised  that  an  Indian  should  be 
on  foot,  approaching  me  at  that  slow,  stealthy  pace — 
for  I  felt  almost  certain  that  no  human  eye  could  see 
me  where  I  lay — but  I  soon  comprehended  all.  The 
savage  who  had  captured  me,  on  finding  I  had 
escaped  from  the  lasso,  and  doubtless  thinking  me 
dead  or  badly  wounded,  had  cautiously  returned  on 
his  trail,  for  the  purpose  of  getting  my  scalp.  He 
had  dismounted  from  his  beast,  and  led  him  forward, 
till  the  snort  of  the  animal — for  the  true  Indian  horse 
never  approaches  the  white  man  without  signs  of  fear 
— had  warned  him  of  my  proximity ;  when,  leaving 
his  horse  behind  him,  he  had  stealthily  advanced 


230  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

alone,  till  my  eye  had  been  able  to  restore  his  seem 
ing  shadow  to  a  substantial  human  figure. 

"  Well,  my  worthy  friend,"  thought  I,  "  you  have 
come  back  on  a  fool's  errand  ;  and  if  my  weapons  do 
not  fail  me,  there  will  probably  be  some  howling  in 
your  lodge,  when  your  infernal,  thieving,  murdering 
companions  return  to  their  village." 

I  knew  he  did  not  see  me — for  his  head  was  bent 
forward,  and  he  was  feeling  his  way,  as  it  were,  at  a 
very  slow,  stealthy  pace.  At  last  he  stopped  within 
a  foot  of  me,  and  was  just  in  the  act  of  dropping  down, 
probably  with  the  design  of  crawling  up  to  me,  sup 
posing  me  still  several  feet  distant,  when,  thrusting 
out  my  arm  suddenly,  I  pressed  the  muzzle  of  the 
pistol  against  his  breast,  and  pulled  the  trigger.  With 
a  yell  of  surprise,  disappointment,  rage  and  pain,  he 
bounded  back,  and  fell,  and  rolled  over  and  over 
upon  the  moist  earth;  and  then,  uttering  a  long,  gurg 
ling  groan,  he  lay  perfectly  still. 

"  There,  my  fine  fellow !"  muttered  I,  grinding  my 
teeth  with  a  kind  of  bitter  satisfaction  ;  "  how  do  you 
like  that  ?  Perhaps  you  would  prefer  dragging  some 
body  else  by  the  neck  over  the  prairie ;  but  it  is  the 
private  opinion  of  a  certain  white  gentleman  from 
the  States  that  you  never  will." 

It  may  seem  a  little  strange  to  the  reader,  that  one 
who  had  so  recently  felt  compunctions  of  conscience  at 
shooting  a  villain  who  had  assailed  his  life,  should 
now  glory,  as  it  were,  in  killing  another  of  a  different 
race ;  but  so  it  was ;  and  it  only  shows  how  much 


ATTACKED  BY  INDIANS.       231 

custom,  public  opinion,  and  education  have  to  do 
with  conscience  after  all.  Strictly  and  morally,  it  was 
just  as  wrong  for  me  to  kill  the  Indian,  as  it  would 
have  been,  under  the  circumstances,  to  have  killed 
Loyola ;  but  one  appeared  perfectly  justifiable  in  my 
eyes,  and  the  other  only  a  shade  removed  from 
murder. 

Scarcely  had  I  shot  the  Indian,  when  the  fight  ter 
minated  at  the  camp  ;  and  with  fierce  signal  yells,  the 
savages  seemed  to  collect  in  a  body  and  dash  away — 
the  hoofs  of  their  horses  thundering  over  the  earth 
together,  and  gradually  dying  out  in  the  distance. 

I  now  ventured  to  get  upon  my  feet,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  returning  to  the  camp ;  but  I  was  so  bruised 
and  lame,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  I  could  walk ; 
while  my  neck  was  so  swollen  and  stiff,  that  I  could 
only  turn  my  head  by  turning  my  body.  I  had  only 
taken  two  or  three  steps,  when  I  heard  the  horse  of 
the  Indian  snort  and  whinny ;  and  it  at  once  occurred 
to  me  to  make  a  capture  of  the  beast — perhaps  to 
replace  my  own — for  it  was  not  improbable  my  own 
had  been  stolen  during  the  melee.  So  I  turned  back 
and  groped  my  way  up  to  the  animal,  which  I  found 
near  his  dead  master,  snuffing,  snorting,  whinnying, 
and  trembling,  evidently  uncertain  whether  to  remain 
or  fly.  He  permitted  me  to  approach  him,  though 
not  without  signs  of  fear,  and  a  half  disposition  to 
spring  away ;  but  probably  the  fact  of  his  master  (for 
whom  he  seemed  to  have  an  affection)  remaining  so 


232  THE    BOEDER    HOVER. 

quietly  on  the  ground,  so  near,  gave  him  confidence  in 
a  white  stranger. 

At  all  events,  he  suffered  me  to  take  hold  of  him, 
and  pat  him  on  the  neck ;  but  when  I  attempted  to 
mount  him,  he  began  to  shy  and  snort.  I  coaxed 
and  fondled  him,  till  he  became  quite  docile ;  but  then 
I  discovered  it  would  be  no  easy  matter  to  mount, 
even  should  he  remain  perfectly  still — for  in  place  of 
a  regular  saddle  with  stirrups,  he  had  only  a  part  of 
a  buffalo-hide  strapped  to  his  back ;  and  his  bridle 
was  little  else  than  a  halter,  without  bit — his  rider 
having  been  able  to  govern  him  in  a  way  peculiar  to 
the  native  of  the  wilderness.  Taking  the  whole  matter 
into  consideration,  I  began  to  be  doubtful  about  the 
propriety  of  mounting  him  at  all ;  but  it  was  unpleasant 
to  me  to  walk ;  and  besides,  I  felt  some  pride  in  my 
exploit,  and  thought  it  would  look  well  to  ride  into 
camp  on  a  steed  I  had  captured. 

But  mounting  where  I  was,  was  out  of  the  question 
— for  I  was  too  stiff  and  lame  to  make  the  requisite 
spring ;  and  so  I  set  off  on  a  walk,  leading  him  by 
the  halter.  Had  I  continued  on  to  camp  in  this  man 
ner,  it  would  have  saved  me  no  little  trouble ;  but 
happening  to  stumble  against  a  small  bank  of  earth, 
I  led  him  round  to  the  lower  side,  and,  after  some 
difficulty,  succeeded  in  getting  upon  his  back.  He 
now  appeared  very  docile,  and  quiet,  and  I  started 
him  forward  at  a  gentle  pace,  in  the  direction  of  the 
camp,  being  guided  only  by  the  voices  of  my  com 
panions,  for  there  was  not  a  light  to  be  seen. 


ATTACKED  BY  INDIANS.       233 

All  went  very  well  till  I  was  nearly  up  to  the 
wagons  ;  when  some  one,  mistaking  me  for  one  of  the 
savages,  fired  without  challenging.  Whether  the  horse 
was  hit  or  not,  I  never  knew ;  but  he  wheeled  sud 
denly  to  the  right,  and  bounded  away  like  a  comet — 
my  friends  giving  me  a  parting  volley — the  balls 
whizzing  over  and  under  me,  and  increasing  the  ter 
ror  of  my  frightened  beast. 

It  was  now  a  John  Gilpin  race,  sure  enough ;  for  I 
found,  after  repeated  trials,  that  I  could  neither  con 
trol  nor  guide  the  fiery  animal,  and  so  was  compelled 
to  let  him  have  his  own  way.  It  was  easy  riding 
enough,  but  whither  was  he  bearing  me  ?  Was  ho 
following  the  trail  of  his  companions  ?  and  would  he 
carry  his  captor  into  captivity,  and  thus  take  his  re 
venge  upon  me  for  the  death  of  his  master  ?  It  was 
not  a  pleasant  speculation,  and  I  would  have  given 
half  my  fortune  to  have  been  safely  on  the  ground ; 
but  getting  to  the  ground,  while  under  such  speed, 
was  not  to  be  thought  of,  unless  I  could  make  up  my 
mind  for  sudden  death  or  broken  bones  ;  and  until  I 
could  see  as  imminent  danger  ahead,  I  did  not  feel  like 
taking  the  risk.  Should  I  come  within  sight  or  hear 
ing  of  the  Indians,  I  would  leap  from  his  back,  be  the 
consequences  what  they  might ;  but,  till  then,  I 
thought  it  best  to  take  my  chances  where  I  was. 

It  was  a  wild,  fearful  ride ;  and  yet  to  me  it  had 
something  of  a  sublime  fascination.  On,  on  we  sped, 
over  the  level  prairie,  my  flying  steed  scarce  seeming 
to  touch  the  earth,  as  he  darted  through  the  thick 


234  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

darkness.  In  broad  day -light,  and  under  other  circum 
stances,  the  ride  would  have  delighted  me  ;  for  it  had 
the  sense  of  flying,  rather  than  running,  and  I  would 
have  risked  my  neck  for  the  peculiar  sensation  of  such 
wild  freedom ;  but  bounding  through  darkness,  leav 
ing  my  friends  behind  me,  and  rushing  perhaps  into 
the  very  jaws  of  death,  or  worse,  was  a  different  mat 
ter  ;  and  yet,  as  I  have  said,  it  had  a  sort  of  sublime 
fascination,  and  threw  over  the  spirit  and  influence  not 
unlike  that  which  urges  an  adventurer  to  some  bold 
and  perilous  exploit  without  rational  motive.  On,  on, 
we  sped,  in  inky  darkness,  the  rain  pouring  steadily 
down,  and  not  a  thing  to  be  seen,  above,  below,  or 
around.  On !  on  !  Now  splashing  through  a  stream 
or  pool — now  flying  through  a  startled  herd  of  buffa 
loes — sometimes  brushing  their  shaggy  manes,  as  they 
strove  to  clear  the  way — with  wolves  howling  on  the 
right  and  left — on !  on  !  Mazeppa-like — though  not 
like  him  to  be  borne  to  a  throne,  but  rather  to  sudden 
death,  or  the  torture-fires  of  a  merciless  foe. 

Miles  now  lay  between  me  and  the  camp  of  my 
friends;  and  yet  my  "wild  prairie  steed"  had  not 
slackened  his  railroad  pace ;  and  when  he  would,  and 
where,  and  what  would  be  the  end,  the  Lord  only 
knew !  Again  I  tried  to  check, him,  but  in  vain  ;  and 
again  I  yielded  to  my  fate,  with  what  resignation  I 
could  command,  commending  my  soul  to  Him  who 
reigns  and  rules  in  time  and  eternity. 

At  last  I  heard  the  hollow,  gurgling  sound  of  an 
angry  flood ;  but  ere  I  could  fairly  comprehend  what 


ATTACKED    BY    INDIANS.  235 

was  before  me,  my  maddened  steeed  had  plunged 
into  the  furious  torrent,  completely  burying  me  under 
water.  So  sudden  was  the  immersion,  that  I  nearly 
lost  my  seat ;  but  I  had  a  tight  grasp  on  his  halter 
and  mane,  and  with  him  I  came  to  the  surface.  His 
speed  was  now  checked,  and  I  thanked  God  for  it— 
for  I  knew  he  must  be  swimming  a  river — and  I 
resolved  to  leap  from  his  back  when  he  should  gain 
the  opposite  shore,  toward  which  he  was  struggling 
with  energy  unrelaxed.  Fierce  was  his  contest  with 
the  swollen  stream — which  sent  its  waters  past  us  with 
a  hoarse  murmur,  gurgle  and  roar — as  if,  resolved  not 
to  give  us  up  to  life  and  liberty,  it  were  already 
chanting  our  funeral  dirge. 

At  length,  after  a  long,  violent  struggle  with  the 
watery  element — which,  on  my  part,  was  attended 
with  an  intense,  painful  anxiety — I  felt  the  feet  of 
the  gallant  beast  touch  the  ground ;  and  the  next 
moment,  with  a  strong  leap,  he  rose  clear  of  the 
stream.  Now  was  my  time ;  and  instantly  springing 
from  his  back,  I  alighted  among  some  bushes  ;  while, 
with  a  quick  bound  and  a  snort,  he  disappeared, 
rushing  away  like  the  wind. 

I  was  now  safe  on  terra  firma;  but  on  what  precise 
point  of  the  great  globe,  I  could  not  tell.  Judging 
from  the  speed  at  which  I  had  been  borne  from  my 
friends,  and  the  time  which  had  elapsed  since  leaving 
the  camp,  some  twenty  miles  now  lay  between  us ; 
and  if  my  course  had  been  westward,  it  was 
reasonable  to  suppose  I  was  now  on  the  western,  or 


236  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

rather  southern,  bank  of  the  far-famed  Pawnee  Eork — 
for  I  had  heard  this  stream  described  as  broad,  deep, 
and  rapid  after  heavy  rains,  and  just  such  a  stream  I 
had  crossed. 

But  what  was  to  be  done  now  ?  I  got  upon  my 
feet,  with  my  water-soaked  garments  clinging  to  me, 
like  a  second  skin,  and  felt  for  my  weapons — but  not 
one  was  to  be  found.  Eifle,  pistols,  knife,  all  had  been 
left  upon  the  prairie,  and  I  had  nothing  with  which  to 
defend  myself  against  an  enemy — or,  what  would  pro 
bably  be  of  more  importance,  to  kill  game  for  food, 
till  I  could  find  some  human  being  of  my  race.  This 
was  not  a  very  agreeable  discovery ;  but  I  had  made 
so  many  remarkable  escapes,  since  leaving  the  States, 
that  I  felt  rather  like  trusting  to  my  good  fortune 
than  giving  away  to  despair.  Why  borrow  trouble 
that  might  never  come  in  any  other  shape  ? 

I  pushed  through  the  bushes,  ran  against  the  trunks 
of  two  or  three  trees,  and  then  found  myself  once  more 
on  the  open  prairie — the  rushing  river  hoarsely  mur 
muring  behind  me.  There  was  no  change  overhead ; 
the  clouds  were  as  low  and  black  as  ever,  the  night  as 
dark  as  the  fabled  realms  of  Pluto,  and  the  rain  still 
falling.  "Which  way  to  go  I  did  not  know ;  but  any 
way  seemed  better  than  sitting  down  or  standing  still 
— although  every  step  I  took  caused  me  to  remember 
the  rough  journey  I  had  made  at  the  heels  of  the  horse 
which  had  since  borne  me  hither ;  and  so,  after  some 
debate  with  myself,  I  turned  to  the  left,  which  led 
down  the  stream,  and  continued  to  walk  very  slowly 


AN     OLD    COMPANION.  237 

for  something  like  an  hour,  keeping  the  roaring  river 
within  hearing; 

I  was  thus  proceeding  carefully,  and  thinking  of 
poor  Varney,  and  what  a  state  of  excitement  would 
follow  his  discovery  of  my  loss,  when  my  foot  struck 
against  some  object,  which  seemed  to  spring  away 
from  it.  Surprised  and  alarmed,  I  made  a  quick 
backward  step;  but  at  the  same  moment  my  legs 
were  seized,  and  jerked  from  under  me ;  and  as  I  came 
heavily  to  the  earth,  a  hoarse  voice  said : 

"  White  or  red  ?  yelp  her  out !  afore  I  let  daylight 
clean,  through  ye  1" 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

AN    OLD    COMPANION. 

"  WHITE,  Sam  Botter !"  exclaimed  I ;  for  there  was 
no  mistaking- that  voice,  by  one  who  had  heard  it  as 
often  as  I  had. 

"Why,  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar,  ef  it  isn't  Freshwater, 
kim  down  in  the  storm !"  exclaimed  Sam,  in  a  tone 

of  surprise.  "  Ef  I  didn't  take  you  fur  a sneaking 

Injin,  why  was  the  devil  painted  black?  Augh! 
Why,  boy,  I'm  glad  to  see  you— or  feel  ye,  rayther — 
for  what's  the  use  of  talking  'bout  eyes  on  sich  a  night 
as  this  hyer  ?  Whar  d'ye  kim  from,  anyhow  ?" 


238  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"I  have  been  riding  a  John  Gilpin  race,  Sam," 
said  I. 

"  What's  that  ?" 

"  Let  me  explain.  About  twenty  miles  from  here, 
as  near  as  I  can  judge,  providing  this  is  Pawnee 
Fork—" 

"  Wall,  hoss,  it  ain't  nothing  else,"  interrupted 
Sam. 

"  Well,  then,  about  twenty  miles  from  here,  on  the 
other  side  of  this  stream,  is  a  military  camp,  where 
your  friend  and  fellow-traveller,  in  the  shape  of  the 
present  narrator,  undertook  to  go  to  sleep  ;  but  being 
attacked  by  Indians,  he  got  up,  got  his  head  into  an 
Indian  lasso,  was  dragged  by  the  neck  too  far  to  be 
agreeable,  cut  the  lasso,  killed  the  savage,  mounted 
his  horse,  was  run  away  with,  and  here  he  is.  Now 
what  do  you  think  of  that  for  an  adventure,  eh  ?" 

Sam  ripped  out  an  oath,  and  exclaimed : 

"Freshwater,  this  hyer  old  one-eyed  nigger  hain't 
got  the  sense  some  people  has,  and  I'll  jest  trouble 
you  to  go  over  that  thar  agin.'' 

"  Certainly,  Sam,  and  I  will  be  more  explicit ;"  and 
I  mentioned  the  prominent  events  which  had  occurred 
since  we  parted  at  Council  Grove. 

"Wall,"  said  Botter,  interjecting  an  oath,  "you're 
one  on  'em,  Freshwater — chaw  me !  Why,  ef  this 
hyer  last  fun  of  yourn  don't  beat  the  d — 1,  why  was 
wolves  growed  ?  Augh !" 

"But  now,"  continued  I,  "pray  tell  me  how  I  find 


AN    OLD    COMPANION".  239 

you  here,  whom  I  thought  many  a  league  away?  and 
where  is  your  partner?" 

"  Wolfy's  gone  under !"  returned  Botter,  with  a 
long,  deep  sigh. 

"  Dead  ?"  exclaimed  I,  with  a  start. 

«  Yes — he  war  rubbed  out  by  the  Pawnees,  the  in- 
farnal  devils !" 

"  Explain !" 

"  It's  wall  you  didn't  kim  with  us,"  continued  Sam, 
in  a  doleful  tone;  "fur  Shadbones  would  hev  been 
made  meat  on,  sure,  and  it's  like  you  wouldn't  hev 
kim  out  no  better — though  you  seem  to  hev  the 
nine  lives  to  the  cat.  I'll  jest  tell  you  how  it  war, 
Freshwater;  but  you  kin  gamble  on  to  it,  that  it'll 
make  this  hyer  old  nigger  feel  as  watery  as  ef  he  war 
peeling  inyuns.  Augh !" 

After  a  pause,  the  old  trapper  proceeded  with  his 
story,  which  I  shall  take  the  liberty  to  abridge  and 
give  in  my  own  language.  He  and  Stericks  had  met 
with  no  misfortune,  till  after  passing  Cow  Creek; 
when,  one  night,  as  they  were  encamped  upon  the 
bank  of  a  small  stream,  they  were  set  upon  by  a  large 
party  of  Pawnees,  who  killed  and  scalped  Stericks, 
and  made  a  clean  sweep  of  all  their  animals,  traps, 
"  possibles,"  etc. — Botter  himself  barely  escaping  in 
the  darkness,  after  shooting  two  of  the  savages,  by 
secreting  himself  under  the  muddy  bank  of  the  creek. 
Since  then,  he  had  travelled  on  foot  and  alone, 
and  was  so  far  on  his  way  to  Bent's  Fort,  where 
he  hoped  to  meet  with  some  friends  who  would  help 


240  THE    BORDEK    ROVER. 

him  to  another  outfit.  All  he  had  been  able  to  save 
of  his  property,  were  his  weapons,  and  the  garments 
he  had  on — even  the  money  I  gave  him  at  Council 
Grove,  being  in  the  possession  of  Stericks,  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  plunderers  when  they  stripped 
the  body.  He  had  met  a  small  hunting  party,  how 
ever,  and  traded  a  clasp-knife  for  a  blanket,  in  which 
he  invariably  rolled  himself  at  night,  heads,  hands, 
and  all,  in  order  to  protect  himself  against  rattlesnakes, 
which,  as  I  have  shown,  sometimes  intrude  upon  the 
sleeper  in  a  very  unceremonious  manner.  He  was 
thus  deposited  on  the  wet  earth,  soaking  in  the  rain, 
when  I  stumbled  upon  him.  But  I  did  not  "  catch 
him  napping,"  as  the  phrase  is — for  your  true  moun 
taineer  seldom  sleeps  sounder  than  a  cat,  and  Botter 
had  had  good  cause  to  keep  his  one  eye  on  the  watch. 
He  had  heard  my  approaching  footsteps ;  but  knowing, 
by  the  sound,  I  had  no  companion,  he  had  resolved, 
if  I  crossed  his  camp,  to  capture  me ;  and,  should  I 
prove  to  be  an  Indian,  to  take  my  scalp,  in  revenge 
for  what  he  had  already  suffered  from  the  hated  race. 
The  result  the  reader  has  seen. 

"  Well,"  said,  I  when  he  had  concluded,  "  I  am 
sorry  for  your  loss,  and  will  cheerfully  do  something 
toward  giving  you  another  outfit." 

"Thank'e  !"  returned  Botter;  "  and  it's  like  I  kin 
do  you  and  Shadbones  a  good  turn,  ef  you  go  to  the 
mountains." 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  I,  "the  very  thing  !    he  will  re- 


AN    OLD    COMPANION.  24:1 

quire  a  guide  and  companion,  after  reaching  Bent's, 
and  why  not  take  him  with  you  ?" 

"I  reckon  we  kin  fix  it,"  replied  the  trapper. 
"  Poor  old  Wolfy's  under,  and  I  hain't  got  nary  human 
now  to  hurry  me  along,  and  so  I'm  jest  agwine  to 
take  my  time — chaw  me  I  I  never  knowed  nothing 
kim  of  hurrying ;  and  so  I  used  to  tell  Wolfy ;  but  he 
knowed  better,  he  said,  and  now  he  don't  know 
nothing.  So  we  go — one  arter  to'ther  gits  rubbed 
out,  and  thar's  the  end  on't.  Augh  !" 

"  I  think  myself,"  said  I,  "  as  events  have  turned 
out,  you  gained  nothing  in  parting  from  us.  If  we 
had  continued  in  your  company,  you  would  have 
traveled  slower  perhaps  ;  yet  who  knows  but  by  that 
very  means  you  would  have  avoided  the  COD  sequences 
you  now  lament  ?" 

"  Wall,  wall,"  returned  Sam,  philosophically,  "thar 
ain't  no  use  in  talking  about  what  mought  hev  been 
— bekase  we  humans  can't  see  into  the  futur',  any 
more  nor  ef  it  was  a  sand-bank  ;  all  we  kin  do  is,  to 
do  what  we  think's  best,  take  what  kirns,  and  let  the 
rest  go.  We  can't  al'ays  float — we's  all  got  to  gin  in 
and  go  under  some  time — and  so  what's  the  use  kick 
ing  agin  it.  Thar  ain't  none — chaw  me  !  Freshwater, 
of  all  the  boys  I  knowed,  twenty  year  ago,  up  to  the 
mountains,  thar  ain't  three  living  'cept  me,  and  I 
'spect  my  time  ain't  fur  off.  Wall,  when  it  kirns, 
this  hyer  old  beaver'll  see  the  end  of  a  heap  of  hard 
tramps,  you  kin  gamble  on  to  that.  Augh  !" 

"  There  is  a  Power  above  us,  Sam,  that  has  guided 
14 


242  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

our  steps  when  we  have  walked  in  dangerous  paths, 
else  should  we  never  have  seen  the  present  I"  said  I, 
solemnly. 

"  Expect,"  rejoined  Sam,  musingly ;  "  leastways, 
this  hyer  old  nigger  once  heerd  a  preacher  say  some'at 
to  that ;  and  ef  he  didn't  know,  why  was  gospeling 
diskivered  ?  Augh  1" 

"  Then,  considering  that  our  steps  are  guarded  and 
guided,"  pursued  I,  "  why  should  we  ever  shrink  from 
what  our  conscience  tells  us  is  right  ?" 

11  We  shouldn't,  Freshwater — nary  once — chaw 
me!" 

"  Then,  if  you  think  so,  why  may  I  not  count  on 
you  to  meet  danger  in  a  good  cause  ?" 

"What's  the  sign,  Freshwater?" 

alam  thinking  of  the  girl  that  was  captured  by 
the  Indians,"  said  I ;  "  and  that  she  ought  to  be  rescued ; 
and  though  I  know  the  attempt  would  be  one  of  peril, 
yet  I  am  far  from  feeling  satisfied  it  should  be  avoided 
on  that  account." 

"  That  thar  would  be  jumping  into  the  fire,  and 
expecting  to  git  out  without  being  burnt,"  said  Sam. 

"To  continue  your  simile,"  returned  I,  "  we  might 
get  out  alive,  even  if  scorched." 

"You  still  hev  the  notion  of  taking  a  tramp  arter 
that  thar  gal,  hey?"  rejoined  the  old  trapper. 

"  I  have  resolved  never  to  return  to  the  States  until 
her  liberty  is  regained,  or  I  have  made  at  least  one 
attempt  to  rescue  her." 

"  That's  said  like  a  lad  of  speret,"  pursued  Botter ; 


AN    OLD    COMPANION.  243 

"  but  you'll  find  it  one  of  the  wost  jobs  ever  you  tried 
— ef  you  don't,  jest  chaw  old  One-Eyed  Sam  up  fur  a 
liar  1  Augh !" 

11  But  can  I  not  persuade  you  to  accompany  me, 
Sam,  if  I  pay  you  well  for  your  time  ?  You  can  but 
die  once,  you  know ;  and  your  life  is  continually  in 
peril,  go  where  you  will,  do  what  you  may." 

"  Thar's  some'at  in  to  that,"  said  Botter,  reflectively ; 
"  but  we  ain't  so  sartin  of  losing  our  ha'r  out  hyer,  as 
we  would  be  to  the  Injun's  own  stamping-ground — 
no  sir-ee." 

"  With  one  of  your  experience,  in  Indian  ways,  I 
think  we  might  succeed,"  said  I,  hopefully.  "  Ke- 
member,  the  lives  of  those  females  are  as  valuable  as 
our  own." 

"  To  them  !"  returned  Sam,  emphatically  ;  "  'spect 
they  is  to  them  I  but  not  to  us — chaw  me !" 

"The  life  of  one,"  I  returned,  "I  at  least  consider 
of  as  much  value  as  my  own ;  and  I  would  willingly 
peril  mine  to  save  hers,  if  certain  it  could  be  saved  in 
no  other  way." 

"  She's  some'at  to  you,  I  reckon  ?"  said  Sam. 

"You  can  judge  from  what  I  have  said.  But  to  the 
question.  Will  money,  or  any  other  consideration, 
or  all  combined,  induce  you  to  make  the  venture  with 
me  for  her  release  ?" 

"Jest  us  two,  Freshwater?" 

"If  I  can  engage  no  more ;  but  I  will  do  what  I  can 
to  get  others  to  accompany  us." 

"I'll  think  about  it,"  replied  Botter;  "I'll  think 


244:  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

about  it,  Freshwater ;  old  One-Eyed  Sam  '11  think  about 
it,  boy ;  I  will,  chaw  me !  Augh !" 

"  "Well,  take  your  time,  and  think  over  the  matter 
seriously.  I  will  not  urge  you  to  a  hasty  decision — 
but  I  will  give  you  something  to  consider  besides  the 
danger.  If  you  go  with  me,  I  will,  before  starting, 
deposit,  with  any  person  you  may  name,  an  amount  of 
money  sufficient  to  purchase  you  a  complete  outfit  for 
your  business ;  and  the  moment  these  female  prisoners 
are  safely  lodged  in  any  fort,  this  money  shall  be 
yours." 

"  You  take  away  the  chances,  most  powerful,  when 
you  say  two  on  Jem,"  said  Sam. 

"Well,  say  one  then — the  girl.  I  should  like  to 
rescue  both — but  the  younger  shall  be  my  first  care. 
Let  me  add,  however,  that  there  may  be  no  misunder 
standing,  that  I  have  already  spoken  to  a  military 
officer  concerning  their  rescue,  and  he  has  promised  to 
report  to  his  superior ;  and  should  a  military  force  be 
sent  against  the  Indians,  I  may  not  need  your  services. 
Of  that,  however,  we  will  speak  hereafter." 

I  squatted  down  on  the  wet  earth,  and  spent  the  re 
mainder  of  the  night  in  conversation  with  the  old 
trapper.  The  rain  continued  to  fall  gently,  so  that  it 
would  have  been  difficult  to  kindle  a  fire,  had  we  not 
even  been  in  a  part  of  the  country  where  it  would 
have  been  dangerous  to  expose  ourselves  to  its  light — 
so  we  sat  in  mud  and  darkness,  and  talked  till  day 
light.  I  suffered  some  from  my  bruises  and  swollen 
neck,  and  my  wet  garments  made  me  chilly;  but 


AN    OLD    COMPANION.  245 

after  my  wonderful  escapes,  I  felt  I  had  no  reason  to 
complain  of  trifles — though  I  hailed  the  break  of  morn 
with  a  sensation  of  gladness  I  had  never  before  expe 
rienced  from  the  same  cause. 

As  soon  as  we  could  fairly  see,  Sam  set  to  work,  as 
only  an  old  woodsman  knows  how,  to  start  a  fire  of  wet 
materials ;  and  after  laboring  for  half  an  hour,  he  suc 
ceeded  in  getting  up  a  cheerful  blaze,  which  filled  me 
with  delight.  He  now  approached  a  tree  on  the 
river's  bank,  and  cut  down  a  large  piece  of  buffalo 
meat,  which  he  had  suspended  there  the  night  before ; 
and  this  we  sliced,  and  toasted,  and  devoured,  without 
bread  or  salt ;  and  I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  ate  a 
heartier  meal,  or  one  that  I  relished  more. 

By  the  time  we  had  finished  our  breakfast,  the  sun 
was  fairly  above  the  horizon,  though  not  visible  to 
us — for  low,  dark,  humid  clouds  shut  in  the  upward 
view,  and  the  rain  continued  to  fall  steadily. 

"  Thar,  now,  Freshwater,"  said  Sam,  wiping  his 
mouth  with^his  hand,  and  smacking  his  lips,  "  don't 
you  'spect  we'd  best  begin  to  tramp  a  bit  ?" 

"Why,"  said  I,  alluding  to  a  previous  conversation, 
"I  thought  you  had  decided  to  remain  here,  and 
wait  for  our  friends !" 

"Not  right  plum  on  this  spot,  did  I?" 

"  No,  but  in  this  vicinity." 

"  Wall,  we  kin  tramp  a  heap,  and  not  go  fur ;  and 
it's  the  opine  of  this  hyer  old  beaver,  that  you'd  best 
stretch  your  legs  a  little,  fur  fear  they'll  spyle,  all 
doubled  up,  arter  the  infarnal  scraping  they  has  had." 


246  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  There  may  be  something  in  that,"  replied  I ;  "but 
where  shall  we  go  ?" 

"  Why,  we'll  put  out  and  fetch  a  buffler,  or  deer— 
you  is  jam  up,  plum  center  to  deers,  you  know — 
waghl  hagh!  waghl — and  then  we'll  kim  back  to 
fish." 

"  Better  set  me  to  fishing  at  once,  if  you  have  hook 
and  line,"  said  I — "  for  you  see  I  have  no  weapons  for 
the  hunt." 

"  That's  a  fact,"  rejoined  Sam,  "  I'd  forgot  you  is 
woss  off  nor  me — chaw  me !  But  s'pose  we  take  a 
short  tramp  fust  1  I'll  kill  so' thing,  you  kin  bet  high ; 
and  then  we'll  kim  back,  fix  up  my  old  blanket  on 
sticks,  fur  kivering  from  the  rain,  start  a  fire,  cook 
our  meat,  and  hev  one  of  the  times  to  loafing. 
Augh!" 

"  Very  well — lead  the  way." 

Better  had  managed  to  keep  his  rifle  pretty  dry ; 
but  to  have  it  in  good  order,  he  now  discharged  and 
reloaded  it ;  and  then  we  set  off  northward— I  being 
compelled  to  walk  rather  slow — though  I  did  not 
find  my  limbs  so  stiff  and  sore  as  the  night  previous. 
We  had  not  gone  far,  when  the  old  trapper  suddenly 
stopped,  and  pointing  with  his  finger  to  some  objects 
in  the  distance,  inquired  : 

"What's  them,  Freshwater?  My  one  eye  ain't 
what  it  used  to  was  on  to  a  long  sight." 

"  I  think  they  may  be  deer;"  I  replied — "  or  per 
haps  young  buffaloes  ;  but  I  cannot  see  very  distinctly, 
for  a  steam-like  vapor  rises  from  the  wet  earth." 


AN    OLD    COMPANION.  247 

"Wall,  boy,"  returned  Sam,  after  a  long,  steady 
look,  with  something  like  exultation,  "bad  as  this 
hyer  old  nigger's  peeper  is,  it  kin  jest  beat  any  two 

you've  got,  or  else  I'm  a old  sinner.  Them  is 

mules,  Freshwater,  and  thar's  more  humans  about, 
you  kin  gamble  on  to  that." 

"  I  hope  they  are  not  Indians." 

"  Nary  once." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?" 

"  Seed  'em,  younker." 

"  Where  ?" 

"  Kim  along,  and  I'll  show  you." 

"  Are  you  sure  ?" 

"  Expect." 

"  Do  not  make  any  mistake — I  can  see  no  one." 

"  Sam,  you  old  one-eyed  hoss,"  said  Better,  apos 
trophising  himself,  "  you  is  good  yit,  bad  as  you  think 
you  is — you  kin  jest  take  down  these  hyer  settlement 
chaps  a  heap — ef  you  can't,  why  was  'bacca  growed  ?" 
and  the  old  trapper  ended  with  a  hearty  laugh. 

As  we  approached  the  animals,  I  not  only  dis 
covered  they  were  mules,  but  that  Sam  was  right  in 
all  his  observations  ;  for  at  a  little  distance  to  the  left, 
were  two  persons,  seated,  a  la  Turque,  upon  a  large 
water-proof  cloth,  larger  than  a  blanket,  which,  being 
drawn  up  around  them,  kept  their  feet  and  legs 
perfectly  dry;  while  their  heads  and  bodies  were 
protected  from  the  falling  rain  by  black,  glazed, 
conical-shaped,  broad-brimmed  sombreros,  and  sarapes 
impervious  to  the  liquid  element.  They  were  both 


248  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

quietly  smoking  pipes,  and  showed  no  fear  at  our 
approach,  though  they  did  not  fail  to  eye  us  sharply. 
As  I  drew  near  them,  I  was  not  a  little  surprised 
to  perceive  that  one  was  a  white  man  and  the  other  a 
negro — though  the  face  of  the  white  man  was  dark 
and  bronzed,  and  both  had  long,  black  beards,  which, 
at  a  distance,  gave  them  much  the  same  appearance. 
Little  did  I  think,  however,  as  I  eyed  them  with 
curiosity  and  speculation,  how  closely  the  destiny  of 
one  would  be  linked  with  mine  in  the  yet  unexplored 
future  which  lay  before  us. 


CHAPTEK  XVI. 

THE    MYSTERIOUS     STRANGER. 

"  I  GIVE  you  good  morning,  gentlemen  1"  said  the 
white  man,  making  a  slight  inclination  of  his  head, 
and  speaking  with  a  foreign  accent.  "  You  see  my 
boy*  and  myself  are  making  ourselves  as  comfortable 
as  we  can  in  the  rain." 

"  You've  got  the  nigger  to  a  tighter  fit  nor  I'd  like 
on  a  juicy  day  like  this  hyer,"  returned  Sam,  bluntly. 
"  Howsomever,  every  body  to  his  likes,  and  this  hyer 
old  one-eyed  hoss  has  his  notions.  Augh  !" 

As  Botter  spoke,  the  negro  darted  upon  him  a  sharp, 

*  It  is  customary  with  Southerners  to  speak  of  their  black 
male  servants  as  "  boys,"  without  regard  to  their  age. 


THE     MYSTERIOUS    STRANGER.          249 

angry  glance,  and  then  turned  his  head  away ;  and 
the  countenance  of  the  white  man  slightly  changed, 
as  if  he  considered  the  remark  injudicious  and  ill- 
timed.  Perceiving  all  this,  I  hastened  to  say : 

"  You  are  certainly  comfortably  fixed ;  and  let  my 
plain-spoken  friend  here  say  what  he  may,  I  for  one 
should  feel  myself  the  gainer  by  an  exchange  of  situ 
ations.  If  I  had  had  forethought  enough  to  have 
provided  myself  with  such  water-proof  garments  as 
yours,  I  should  not  at  this  moment  be  such  a  miser 
able  victim  of  Dame  Nature's  hydropathic  treatment ; 
but  I  am  young — my  friend  Sam,  here,  thinks  me 
green — and  so,  doubtless,  with  age  and  seasoning,  I 
shall  get  wisdom." 

The  stranger  smiled,  and  rejoined,  with  pleasant 
irony : 

"  But  your  friend  here,  with  all  his  experience — 
and  it  is  quite  evident,  from  his  damaged  figure-head, 
he  has  been  over  rough  places — with  all  his  expe 
rience,  I  say,  it  seems  he  has  not  learned  the  mode  of 
keeping  a  dry  skin  any  more  than  yourself." 

"Aughl"  grunted  Sam,  contemptuously — "what's 
a  little  water  to  a  old  beaver  as  has  seed  snakes  in  his 
time  ?" 

"  "Why,  water  is  everything  to  a  beaver,"  pursued 
the  stranger,  good-humoredly ;  "  and  if  you  are  a 
beaver,  it  is  quite  reasonable  you  should  like  to  soak 
in  your  favorite  element." 

"  What's  the  sign  ?"  said  Sam,  a  little  testily. 


250  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  One  sign  of  the  beaver  is  a  dam,"  replied  the 
other,  quietly,  his  dark  eye  twinkling  with  humor. 

"  Wall,  then,  d — n  beavers,  and  you  too,  ef  yon 
can't  answer  a  civil  question !"  rejoined  the  old  trap 
per. 

"I  suppose/'  pursued  the  other,  taking  a  strong 
pull  at  his  nearly  extinguished  meerschaum,  and  puff 
ing  out  quite  a  volume  of  smoke — "  I  suppose  I  ought 
not  to  take  any  offence  at  your  coupling  beavers  and 
myself  in  your  malediction — because,  by  your  own 
showing,  you  are  one  of  the  broad-tailed  quadrupeds 
— and  I  do  not  think  any  one  can  curse  himself  and 
seriously  mean  what  he  says." 

"  "Wall,  as  I'm  a  living  nigger — "  resumed  Hotter; 
when  the  other  interrupted  him  with  a  loud  laugh, 
and  the  exclamation : 

"A  nigger?  Why  what,  in  the  name  of  all  the 
saints,  will  you  be  next  ?  First  a  horse,  then  a  beaver, 
and  now  a  nigger!  Good  sooth  !  you  will  turn  out 
to  be  a  whole  menagerie  if  you  keep  on!  Cato, 
(turning  to  the  black,)  he  claims  to  be  of  your  race 
now!" 

"  Well,  I's  doesn't  own  him,"  replied  Cato,  with  a 
malicious  chuckle. 

Sam  looked  puzzled,  and  was  evidently  at  a  stand 
whether  to  get  up  a  fight,  or  laugh  the  whole  matter 
off  as  a  joke.  I  was  determined  there  should  be  no 
quarrel,  if  I  could  prevent  it ;  and  I  hastened  to  turn 
the  conversation  into  another  channel. 

li  Badinage  aside,"  said  I,  addressing  the  stranger, 


THE     MYSTERIOUS    STRANGER.          251 

"  have  you  any  news  of  our  mutual  enemies,  the  In 
dians?" 

" Nothing  personal  to  relate,  sir;  but  on  my  way 
np  here  from  the  South,  I  met  a  company  of  Santa  Fe 
traders,  who  said  they  had  been  attacked,  and  had 
lost  five  men  killed,  and  two  females  taken  prison 
ers." 

"  Alas !  I  know  that  tragical  story  too  well !"  said 
I ;  "  the-  news  reached  me  at  Council  Grove  the  day 
following  the  sad  event,  and  was  brought  by  four 
young  men  who  were  in  the  fight.  But  did  you  hear 
any  mention  of  the  names  of  those  who  were  cap 
tured  and  killed  ?" 

"  I  did  not — or  if  I  did,  I  have  forgotten  them. 
Being  all  strangers,  I  felt  no  interest  in  names." 

"  And  was  there  no  talk  of  trying  to  rescue  the 
prisoners  ?" 

"  No  mention  was  made  to  me  of  such  a  design." 

"  Would  to  Heaven,"  returned  I,  "that  I  could  col 
lect  together  a  dozen,  or  even  half  that  number,  of 
brave,  determined,  experienced  men  I  /would  make 
the  venture." 

"  Are  the  female  prisoners  related  to  you  ?"  inquired 
the  stranger. 

"  No  !  but  one  of  them  is  a  beautiful  girl,  of  seven 
teen,  in  whom  I  am  deeply  interested." 

"  Seventeen !"  repeated  the  stranger  ;  "  young  and 
beautiful !  what  a  horrible  fate  is  hers  !" 

"And  of  your  country,  too,  if  I  mistake  not!" 
said  I. 


252  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

«  How,  sir?" 

"  Pardon  me !  are  you  not  a  Spaniard  ?" 

"I  am,  sir!  And  is  this  girl,  you  speak  of,  Spa 
nish?" 

"  I  cannot  say  positively — for  she  herself  knows  not 
what  country  gave  her  birth ;  but,  from  her  earliest 
recollection,  she  spoke  the  Spanish  language." 

"  Indeed  !  you  interest  me !"  returned  the  stranger, 
earnestly.  "  Pray  tell  me  all  you  know  of  her  ?  But, 
I  beg  your  pardon  !  I  have  kept  you  standing  in  the 
rain,  when  I  might  have  had  the  courtesy  to  provide 
you  with  a  dry  covering,  to  say  the  least.  Cato,  get 
my  other  sombrero  and  sarape  from  the  mule-pack, 
and  let  the  gentleman  take  your  place  I  I  have  just 
let  my  morning  fire  go  out ;  but  you  seem  to  be  chilly, 
and  I  will  have  another  kindled.  Here — step  in 
here !"  he  continued,  throwing  back  the  oil-cloth  cover 
ing  around  his  feet,  as  the  negro  hastened  to  obey  his 
orders. 

I  did  as  directed,  and  squatted  down  by  his  side, 
when  he  continued : 

"  Doubtless  you  are  surprised  to  find  me  provided 
with  an  extra  sombrero ;  but  the  truth  is,  on  one  of 
my  jaunts  through  Mexico,  I  lost  the  one  I  had  on, 
in  a  river ;  and  was  obliged  to  go  a  long  distance, 
through  a  heavy  rain,  before  I  could  get  another ; 
and  since  then  I  have  always  taken  care  to  be  pre 
pared  against  accidents.  But  how  shall  I  provide 
for  your  friend  here  ?  although  he  says  he  does  not 
mind  water.  I  have  an  extra  oil-cloth  baggage  cover, 


THE     MYSTERIOUS    STRANGER.          253 

stranger,"  he  continued,  addressing  Better,  "  and  sup 
pose  you  wrap  yourself  in  that,  and  smoke  a  pipe 
with  me !" 

"You  git  this  hyer  old  one-eyed" — Sam  stopped, 
with  a  look  of  some  perplexity,  and  then  added — 
11  white  gintleman,  a  heap,  when  you  talk  about  'bacca 
— for  I  haint  had  a  smell  for  two  days — but  cuss  the 
kivering !  for  my  old  hide  is  as  tough  as  bufflers  is, 
and  water  won't  spile  it,  you  kin  gamble  on  to  that. 
]STo !  jest  you  gin  me  some  'bacca,  I've  got  a  pipe,  and 
you  and  Freshwater  kin  spread  yourselves  fur  a  big 
talk,  while  I  go  to  make  burner  kim.  Augh !" 

"  You  shall  have  a  pound,  my  worthy  friend,  and 
no  hard  thoughts  between  us !"  rejoined  the  Spaniard, 
with  a  laugh.  "  Cato,  give  the  white  gentleman — for 
he  is  no  longer  a  horse,  beaver,  or  '  nigger' — a  pound 
of  the  best  tobacco ;  and  then  (he  added  this  in 
an  under-tone)  the  menagerie  will  depart  on  a  buffalo 
hunt." 

In  a  few  minutes  I  found  myself  very  comfortably 
situated  indeed — that  is  to  say,  comparatively  speak 
ing.  Although  with  wet  garments  next  to  my 
skin,  I  was  now  protected  against  the  falling  rain, 
and  my  outside  coverings  brought  warmth  to  my 
body,  which  for  many  long  hours  had  been  shivering 
with  cold. 

"You  will,  of  course,  join  me  in  a  smoke?"  said 
my  new  acquaintance,  producing  another  meerschaum, 
as  he  prepared  to  refill  the  one  in  his  mouth. 


254  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Thank  you !  I  never  use  tobacco  in  any  shape," 
I  replied. 

u  Ah  !  sir,  you  know  not  how  much  pleasure  you 
lose !"  he  rejoined.  "  It  may  seem  incredible  to  you 
— but,  sir,  I  have  actually  found  more  real  enjoyment 
in  a  pipe  of  tobacco,  smoked  in  the  wilderness,  alone 
with  my  thoughts,  than  I  have,  at  other  times,  sur 
rounded  by  a  circle  of  friends.  It  calms  the  nerves 
— it  soothes  the  mind — it  gives  the  imagination  a 
dreamy  play ;  and  you  live  over  the  past,  or  go  into 
the  future,  and  pictures  of  happiness,  with  well  known 
forms  and  faces,  float  around  you  in  the  gently  curling 
vapor." 

"  But  all  end  in  smoke,"  said  I,  laughing. 

"  As  what  does  not,  sir!"  he  quickly  rejoined.  "  It 
is  happiness  for  the  time  ;  and  I  have  lived  long 
enough  to  be  satisfied  there  is  no  earthly  happiness 
more  durable  than  the  smoke  which  floats  above  my 
meerschaum." 

"You  may  be  right,"  said  I;  "but  I  should  be 
miserable  to  believe  you." 

"  Better  for  you  to  believe  me  now,  than  to  sud 
denly  awake  from  your  youthful  dream  of  future 
delight,  to  the  bitter,  heart-blighting  reality  !  You  are 
young,  healthy,  sanguine  —  all  before  you  seems 
bright  and  beautiful — but  you  only  see  the  glaciers 
of  far-off  mountains  sparkling  in  the  sun,  which  a 
near  inspection  will  prove  to  be  crags  of  ice — cold, 
dreary,  and  unattainable — or  valueless  when  attained. 
I  saw  with  your  eyes  once ;  but  alas !  I  have  lived  to 


THE     MYSTERIOUS    STRANGE  E.          255 

stand  upon  the  Alpine  peaks,  and  shiver  in  my  deso 
lation." 

As  my  new  acquaintance  said  this,  he  drew  a  long, 
deep  sigh,  and,  casting  down  his  eyes,  appeared  to 
become  absorbed  in  a  painful  reverie.  While  he  thus 
sat  silent,  I  eyed  him  closely,  and  with  that  feeling 
of  romantic  curiosity  which  we  involuntarily  attach 
to  a  high-bred,  intellectual  stranger,  whose  history  is 
to  us  unknown,  and  whose  air  is  one  from  which  our 
fancy  weaves  a  mystery.  He  seemed  to  be  about 
forty  years  of  age,  and  his  dark,  Castilian  features 
were  handsome,  expressive,  and  intellectual.  His 
hair  was  long,  black,  and  of  a  wavy  curl ;  and  a  thick, 
black  beard,  neatly  trimmed,  covered  the  lower  part 
of  his  face.  His  profile  was  straight,  with  a  slightly 
acquiline  nose  ;  and  when  his  thin  lips  parted  with  a 
cheerful  laugh,  he  displayed  two  rows  of  white,  even 
teeth.  His  eyes  were  rather  hazel  than  black,  and 
their  general  expression  was  soft  and  winning ;  but 
varying  with  every  mood  of  their  owner — from  the 
twinkle  of  humor,  the  gentleness  of  affection,  to  the 
fiery  fierceness  of  passion.  His  height,  as  I  afterward 
ascertained,  was  a  trifle  under  six  feet,  and  his  form 
athletic,  flexible,  and  graceful.  Of  his  character, 
temperament,  and  intellect,  I  need  not  speak,  as  the 
reader  can  form  his  own  idea  of  the  inner  man  and 
his  abilities  from  what  will  follow  in  the  course  of  my 
narrative. 

"  I  crave  your  pardon !"  said  the  stranger,  suddenly 
looking  up  :  "I  have  been  letting  my  memory  recall 


256  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

a  painful  scene.  Sometimes,  sir,  I  wish,  my  memory 
were  blotted  out  with  my  hopes ;  and  then  again,  it 
gives  me  a  kind  of  twilight  pleasure — bringing  back,  as 
it  were,  the  evening  of  a  glorious  day,  without  the 
day  itself.  You  will  not  understand  all  my  similes, 
and  metaphorical  expressions,  and  allusions,  perhaps 
— but  it  does  not  follow  that  you  will  thereby  be  the 
loser.  "Well,  well,  what  a  world  this  is  !  and  what  a 
curious  life  we  live  in  it  I  Here  now  are  two  persons, 
of  different  countries,  different  races,  and  born  thous 
ands  of  miles  apart,  sitting  quietly  down  in  a  savage 
wilderness,  to  enjoy  a  tete-d-tete,  and  without  even  so 
much  as  knowing  each  other's  names.  I  am  called 
Juan  El  Doliente."* 

"  My  name,  sir,  is  Koland  Eivers,"  I  replied. 

"  By-the-by,  how  is  it  I  find  you  without  weapons? 
it  did  not  strike  me  before." 

I  gave  him  a  brief  account  of  what  had  occurred 
the  night  previous. 

"  A  very  remarkable  escape,"  he  rejoined,  as  I  con 
cluded  ;  "but  you  spoke  of  this  old  woodsman  as  an 
acquaintance — had  you  met  before  ?  You  see  I  am 
curious  to  know  all  I  can  of  you  1" 

"Then  I  had  better  begin  at  the  beginning,"  re 
turned  I ;  and  I  briefly  informed  him  where  I  was 
from,  why  I  came  to  leave  home,  and  narrated  the 
prominent  incidents  of  my  journey,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  my  adventure  with  Loyola  and  Adele. 

"  You  are  anxious  to  rejoin  your  friend,  I  suppose," 
*  Anglice— The  Sufferer. 


THE     MYSTERIOUS    STRANGER.          257 

he  pursued,  "  and  I  can  appreciate  his  feelings  at  your 
loss.  He  will  look  upon  you  as  one  risen  from  the 
dead.  If  agreeable  to  you,  we  will  remain  together 
in  this  vicinity,  and  wait  for  this  military  party  to 
come  up." 

"  You  could  not  propose  anything  to  please  me 
better,"  I  replied. 

"  And  as  I  have  no  particular  locality  in  view,  sup 
pose  I  keep  you  company  for  a  few  days  ?" 

"  Better  still,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Confess,  now,  you  are  curious  to  know  something 
of  my  history  ?" 

"I  certainly  am." 

"  You  wonder  why  I  am  here,  with  no  companion 
but  my  servant,  and  with  no  particular  destination  in 
view?" 

"I  cannot  deny  I  am  curious  on  that  point  too," 
said  I. 

"  Suppose  I  tell  you  I  am  traveling  merely  to  kill 
time  ?" 

"Then  I  think  you  have  chosen  a  locality  where 
you  are  most  likely  to  be  killed  yourself,"  returned  I. 

"  Well,  what  of  that  ?  Man  dies  but  once,  and  life 
has  but  little  pleasure  to  me  now.  It  was  not  always 
so,  my  young  friend.  There  was  a  time  when  I  should 
nave  shrunk  from  the  King  of  Terrors,  as  Death  is 
called — not  because  of  personal  fear — but  because  I 
was  surrounded  by  those  I  loved,  and  was  happy.. 
They  are  all  gone  now,"  he  added,  in  a  tremulous 
voiee,  brushing  a  tear  from  his  eye ;  "  and  I  stand 
15 


258  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

alone,  a  blasted  oak.  By  and  by,  perhaps,  I  will  give 
you  a  sketch,  of  my  history ;  but  not  now — I  am  not 
in  the  mood  now." 

"If  you  are  traveling  to  find  relief  to  an  aching 
heart,"  said  I,  "I  am  surprised  that  you  seek  it  here 
in  the  wilderness." 

"Where  then?" 

"  Among  the  haunts  of  men." 

"  You  left  the  haunts  of  men  and  came  hither  for 
pleasure,  did  you  not  ?" 

"  But  I  had  met  with  no  misfortune." 

"And  therefore  had  never  tried  human  sympathy 
for  consolation,"  he  replied.  "  There  are  sorrows 
which  human  sympathy  can  assuage;  but,  sir,  the 
heart  may  hold  a  grief  so  terrible,  so  crushing,  that  it 
can  only  find  relief  in  undisturbed  communion  with  the 
God  who  made  it ;  and  Heal  ways  seems  to  me  to  be 
nearest  in  the  solemn  solitude  of  the  pathless  wilder 
ness.  But  aside  from  this,  the  man  who  has  a  natural 
desire  for  travel,  likes  variety;  and  having  seen  all 
that  the  genius  and  art  and  skill  and  learning  of  man 
can  produce,  he  turns  to  the  wilderness  for  novelty, 
and  studies  the  almost  infinite  beauties  of  nature  with 
fresh  delight.  How  forcibly  your  great  English  poet 
expresses  this  sentiment ! 

"  '  There  is  a  pleasure  in  the  pathless  woods, 
There  is  a  rapture  on  the  lonely  shore, 
There  is  society,  where  none  intrudes, 
By  the  deep  sea,  and  music  in  its  roar: 
I  love  not  man  the  less,  but  Nature  more, 


THE    MYSTEKIOUS    STRANGER.          259 

From  these  our  interviews,  in  which  I  steal 

From  all  I  may  be,  or  have  been  before, 

To  mingle  with  the  Universe,  and  feel 

What  I  can  ne'er  express,  yet  cannot  all  conceal.' 

"  All !  Byron !  Byron !"  he  added,  after  repeating 
the  foregoing  stanza  with  great  effect — "  what  genius 
and  misery  united  in  him !  I  can  appreciate  him,  foi 
my  own  heart  has  experienced  some  of  his  desolation. 
But  come  !  we  must  not  forget  the  subject  which  drew 
us  together.  You  were  about  to  tell  me  something  of 
the  history  of  one  whom  you  now  suppose  to  be  a 
prisoner  among  the  Indians!  I  have  all  the  time 
been  eager  to  hear  your  story,  and  yet  have  purposely 
delayed  the  narrative — can  you  understand  this  con 
tradiction  ?" 

"  I  cannot,  sir." 

"  Well,  no  matter,  the  human  heart  is  full  of  con 
tradictions.  Go  on — I  am  ready  now  I  tell  me  all  you 
know  of  this  girl's  history.  Stop !  a  question  first  I 
Where  did  you  make  her  acquaintance  ?  since  you 
say  you  are  recently  from  Philadelphia." 

"  The  first  night  after  leaving  the  last  western  set 
tlement,  I  chanced  to  get  lost,"  I  replied,  "and  found 
my  way  into  the  camp  of  the  Santa  Fe  traders.  She 
was  the  first  person  I  spoke  to ;  and  her  sweet,  sad 
face  made  such  an  impression  upon  my  sympathetic 
heart,  that,  after  some  preliminary  conversation,  I  put 
such  questions  as  drew  from  her  the  statement  which 
I  will  now  repeat." 

The  reader  will  perceive  that  I  thus  avoided  speak- 


260  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

ing  of  my  encounter  with  Loyola  ;  but  I  described  the 
man  as  a  villain,  and  gave  my  reasons  for  supposing 
him  not  the  father  of  Adele.  I  told  the  story  of  the 
girl,  as  she  had  told  it  to  me ;  and  the  Spaniard  sat  and 
listened,  as  one  paralyzed — his  dark,  expressive  eyes, 
which  he  fastened  upon  me,  and  kept  there  riveted; 
seeming  to  pierce  my  very  soul.  His  countenance, 
too,  during  the  narration,  assumed  such  a  wild,  sin 
gular  expression,  that  I  felt  almost  terrified,  and 
began  to  wonder  if  he  were  subject  to  fits  of  insanity. 
I  cannot  better  convey  an  idea  of  his  look  and  appear 
ance,  than  to  let  the  reader  imagine  a  person,  suddenly 
surprised  and  startled,  and  in  the  act  of  gasping  for 
breath,  being  transformed  into  a  figure  of  wax.  Ex 
cept  some  slight  twitchings  of  the  muscles  around  the 
mouth,  a  quivering  of  the  lips,  and  short,  gasping 
respirations,  he  did  not  move ;  but  occasionally — as  I 
paused  in  alarm,  thinking  he  must  be  ill — dry,  husky 
articulations,  seeming  to  issue  from  his  throat  or 
chest,  bade  me  go  on. 

For  some  time  after  I  had  finished  my  story,  he 
kept  his  eyes  fixed  upon  me,  with  the  same  wild  ex 
pression  ;  and  then  he  sprung  up,  dashed  down  his 
meerschaum,  and  set  off  on  a  run.  Cato  was  near,  in 
the  act  of  kindling  a  fire ;  and  calling  to  him,  I  ex 
claimed  : 

"  Quick !  quick !  follow  your  master  I  he  has  lost  his 
senses,  and  may  do  himself  an  injury  1" 

Cato  looked  up  in  surprise  ;  and  then  turning  to  me, 
with  a  leer,  said : 


THE    MYSTEKIOUS    STRANGE  B.          261 

"  I  guess,  mas'er,  you  is  trying  to  fool  dis  chile — eh  I 
mas'er?" 

"  No !  no !  don't  you  see  he  is  mad? — look  how  he 
runs  ! — after  him,  in  Heaven's  name  1" 

The  tone  of  my  voice,  and  the  anxious  expression 
of  my  features,  convinced  the  negro  more  than  my 
words;  and  starting  to  his  feet,  with,  "Golly!  dat's 
queer !"  he  darted  after  the  Spaniard,  with  the  speed 
of  an  Indian  runner. 

I  watched  the  chase  with  intense  anxiety.  But  it 
lasted  not  long ;  for  after  running  some  two  or  three 
hundred  yards,  El  Doliente,  as  he  styled  himself, 
suddenly  came  to  a  halt,  and,  facing  about,  began  to 
retrace  his  steps  at  an  ordinary  walk.  He  was  met 
by  the  negro,  who  of  course  had  to  explain  why  he 
had  followed  him,  and  the  two  came  back  together. 
As  they  drew  near,  I  was  pleased  to  observe  that  the 
features  of  the  Spaniard  had  resumed  their  natural 
expression,  though  somewhat  paler  than  usual. 

41  So  you  thought  me  mad,  my  friend  ?"  he  said, 
with  a  grave  smile,  as  he  came  up  to  me. 

"  I  certainly  did,  sir." 

<l  Well,  I  was  a  good  deal  excited,  I  must  admit ; 
and  T  felt  very  strangely — as  if  I  must  run  to  get  my 
breath — a  singular  way  of  doing  it,  doubtless  you 
think." 

"  But  what  excited  you  so,  if  I  may  ask  ?  You 
had  a  very  strange,  wild  look  while  I  was  speaking, 
which  somewhat  alarmed  me ;  and  I  should  have 
stopped,  only  you  insisted  upon  my  going  on." 


262  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

"  As  to  what  excited  me,  perhaps  I  should  say,  my 
own  fancy,  acted  upon  by  your  story ;  and  I  bade  you 
go  on,  because  I  wished  to  hear  the  whole,  without 
interruption.  Now  tell  me — what  kind  of  a  looking 
man  was  this  Loyola  ?" 

"  Tall,  sinewy,  forbidding,  and  villanous — with  very 
dark  skin,  a  low  forehead,  large,  bushy  eye-brows,  and 
black  hair  and  eyes." 

"His  age?" 

"From  thirty-five  to  forty,  I  should  judge." 

"He  is  dead,  you  say?" 

"He  was  killed  by  the  Indians,  at  the  same  time 
Adele  w^-s  taken  prisoner." 

He  stood  a  short  time,  with  his  eyes  cast  down,  as 
if  reflecting  upon  what  he  had  heard,  and  then 
abruptly  inquired : 

"Are  you  sure  the  girl's  name  was  Adele?" 

"  She  said  she  had  no  remembrance  of  being  called 
by  any  other." 

"And  she  was  educated  at  the  Convent  of  Santa 
Maria,  in  the  interior  of  Mexico  ?" 

"  That  was  her  statement,  sir." 

He  drew  a  long  deep  sigh,  and  mused  again. 

"Are  you  certain  of  the  tribe  that  captured  her?" 
lie  at  length  inquired. 

"My  informant,  who  was  present  at  the  attack, 
said  they  were  Arrapahoes." 

"  Had  he  any  particular  knowledge  of  the  different 
tribes?" 

"I  think  not,"  I  answered. 


THE    MYSTERIOUS    STRANGE  B.  263 

"  Then  lie  might  easily  have  been  mistaken." 

"  Good  heavens !"  exclaimed  I — "  so  he  might ;  and 
if  so,  then  is  the  poor  girl  lost  indeed!  Strange,  I 
have  never  thought  of  this !  and  now  it  weakens  my 
hope.  Did  you  not  hear  the  party  you  met  say  what 
tribe  attacked  them  ?" 

"  They  thought  they  were  Arrapahoes,"  he  replied, 
"  but  were  not  certain  ;  for  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
distinguish  one  tribe  from  another  in  the  night,  even 
by  those  who  would  recognize  their  distinctive  traits 
and  dress  by  daylight — at  least  I  have  been, told  so." 

"Alas!  then,  what  hope  is  there  for  the  poor 
girl  ?"  I  sighed.  "  With  any  doubt  as  to  her  present 
locality,  if  living,  I  could  not  ask,  with  any  show  of 
reason,  for  Government  troops  to  be  sent  to  her 
rescue;  and  if  I  did,  I  should  expect  my  application 
to  be  refused." 

"  Then  we  must  act  on  our  own  account,"  he 
replied. 

"  We  ?"  said  I,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes  !  you  have  awakened  my  interest  in  the  girl 
— and,  if  living,  I  am  determined  she  shall  be  found 
and  rescued.  If  money  can  procure  sufficient  aid  to 
render  an  expedition  in  quest  of  her  comparatively 
safe,  I  have  enough  of  that,  and  will  use  it  for  that 
purpose." 

"  Say  you  so  ?"  cried  I,  springing  up  and  grasping 
his  hand.  "  God  bless  you  for  the  noble  resolve !" 


264  THE    BORDER    ROVEB. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

REJOIN    MY  FRIEND. 

THE  more  I  saw  of  my  new  acquaintance,  the  bet 
ter  I  liked  him ;  and,  all  things  being  taken  into  con 
sideration,  I  looked  upon  the  event  as  fortunate  which 
had  brought  us  together.  If  my  gallant  steed  had 
not  borne  me  to  a  throne,  as  did  the  steed  of  Mazeppa, 
he  had  at  least  assisted  me  in  the  accomplishment  of 
one  great  object  I  had  in  view,  by  placing  me  in  a  po 
sition  to  come  in  contact  with  one  who  could  and 
would  materially  aid  me,  and  for  this  I  humbly  and 
sincerely  thanked  Providence. 

Juan  El  Doliente  was  a  man  of  somewhat  remark 
able  parts.  Learned  in  books,  in  the  study  of  natur€ 
and  art,  and  the  ways  of  mankind — a  gentleman,  a 
scholar,  and  a  traveler  who  had  visited  almost  every 
portion  of  the  habitable  globe — he  could  converse  on 
every  subject  with  an  ease  and  freedom  that  was  truly 
fascinating;  while  his  reflective,  philosophical,  satiri 
cal,  and  humorous  modes  of  expression — sometimes 
all  commingling,  as  it  were,  in  a  single  sentence — 
gave  continual  zest  to  everything  that  passed  his  lips, 
and  rendered  him,  without  exception,  the  most  de 
lightful  and  brilliant  conversationalist  I  have  ever 
seen. 


REJOIN    MY    FRIEND.  265 

We  spent  the  day  in  company,  removing  our  camp 
to  the  point  where  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  crossed  the 
Pawnee  Fork,  so  as  to  intercept  the  military  train, 
which  we  expected  would  make  its  appearance  before 
night.  Hotter  came  in  about  noon,  bringing  the  most 
delicious  portions  of  an  antelope  which  he  had  shot ; 
and  on  this  we  had  a  regular  feast — El  Doliente  fur 
nishing  salt,  and  Cato  making  us  a  cake  of  corn  meal, 
which  had  been  brought  from  below  to  be  used  on 
special  occasions.  The  Spaniard  had  six  mules — two 
for  himself  and  servant  to  ride,  and  the  others  to 
carry  his  baggage,  camp  utensils,  and  whatever  else 
he  might  find  necessary  or  convenient  on  his  journey 
— and  therefore  he  had  taken  a  certain  amount  of  pro 
visions,  to  serve  him  during  a  scarcity  of  game,  or  to 
vary  the  regular  hunters'  fare  of  meat  alone. 

I  was  in  hopes  El  Doliente  would  feel  in  the  mood 
to  give  me  a  sketch  of  his  life  during  the  day — for  I 
was  quite  curious  to  learn  something  of  his  history — 
but  he  made  no  farther  allusion  to  the  subject ;  and  I, 
not  wishing  to  be  thought  inquisitive,  made  no  in 
quiry.  He  talked  much  of  Adele,  and  asked  a 
hundred  questions  concerning  her,  many  of  which  I 
could  not  answer,  and  seemed  much  distressed  at  her 
hard  fortune — more  so,  I  thought,  than  could  naturally 
result  from  mere  sympathy  for  the  sufferings  of  one 
never  seen,  and  supposed  to  be  an  unknown,  or  un 
heard  of  stranger.  He  inquired  about  her  height,  her 
size,  her  tout  ensemble,  the  color  of  her  hair  and  eyes, 
the  peculiarity  of  her  features,  and  even  the  expres- 


266  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

sion  of  her  countenance,  when  in  repose  and  when 
animated.  At  last,  recurring  to  his  excited  manner, 
while  telling  him  the  history  of  the  girl,  and  taking 
all  his  questions  into  consideration,  I  inquired  : 

"  Have  you  fallen  in  love  with  this  Adele,  from 
my  description  of  her  ?  or  do  you  fancy  you  really 
know  who  she  is  ?" 

"  Perhaps  neither,"  he  replied,  evasively ;  "  at  least 
I  shall  not  be  your  rival  for  her  hand." 

"Why,  you  must  not  suppose  me  her  suitor,"  I 
replied,  with  a  laugh. 

"  Do  you  not  love  her  ?"  he  asked,  quickly. 

"  Eeally,  I  have  had  so  little  experience  in  matters 
of  the  heart,  that  I  cannot  decide  in  my  own  mind 
whether  I  do  or  not.  But  grant  I  do  love  her,  it  does 
not  follow  I  shall  wish  to  marry  her,  even  if  I  succeed 
in  restoring  her  to  life  and  liberty." 

"  You  would  attempt  nothing  dishonorable  ?"  he 
quickly  demanded,  a  dark  shade  of  suspicion,  or  dis 
trust,  passing  quickly,  over  his  features. 

"  Being  a  stranger,"  returned  I,  rather  coolly,  "  I 
shall  permit  you  to  ask  that  question,  without  taking 
mortal  offence  thereat ;  but  had  you  known  me  for 
years,  instead  of  hours,  doubtless  you  would  have 
thought  twice  before  putting  it  in  such  a  serious 
mood." 

"  Forgive  me !"  he  rejoined,  grasping  my  hand  ; 
"  I  do  know  you.  I  have  already  penetrated  into 
your  very  soul ;  and  I  am  chagrined  that  I  allowed 


REJOIN    MY    FRIEND.  267 

my  lips  to  speak  without  proper  reflection!  Pray 
forget  the  hasty  words  I" 

"  They  are  forgotten,"  said  I,  cordially  returning 
the  pressure  of  his  hand. 

It  continued  to  rain  till  toward  night,  and  then 
cleared  up,  with  a  chilling  breeze  from  the  west — a 
breeze  that  seemed  to  have  passed  over  icy  mountains 
on  its  journey.  The  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  in 
midsummer,  are  not  among  the  least  remarkable 
features  of  the  Grand  Prairies.  You  may  retire  at 
night,  almost  panting,  as  you  inhale  and  exhale  the 
close,  sultry  air,  and,  in  less  than  six  hours,  require 
thick  blankets  and  a  fire  to  render  you  comfortable. 
The  cause  of  these  changes  is  easily  explained.  The 
high  mountain  peaks  to  the  westward  are  perpetually 
covered  with  snow  and  ice  ;  and  when  the  current  of 
air  sets  in  from  this  direction,  it  takes  a  wintry  cold 
ness  to  the  plains  below ;  while  a  breeze  from  the 
south  brings  the  breath  of  the  tropics ;  and  without 
either  of  these  currents,  a  summer  sun,  pouring  down 
upon  a  flat,  sandy  surface,  generates  a  heat  that  is 
almost  unbearable,  and  which  only  a  mountain  wind 
can  dissipate. 

Before  night,  I  was  delighted  to  perceive  the  com 
mand  of  Lieutenant  Parker  arrive  on  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  stream  ;  but  the  creek  was  too  high  and 
turbulent  to  admit  of  any  one  crossing;  though  so 
anxious  was  I  to  see  Yarney,  and  assure  him  of  my 
safety,  that  I  think  I  should  have  attempted  to  swim 


268  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

it,  had  not  El  Doliente  and  Better  interfered  to  pre 
vent  me. 

"I  insist  you  do  not  make  the  trial  I"  said  the 
Spaniard,  in  a  positive  tone ;  "for  I  will  not  stand  idly 
by  and  see  you  throw  your  life  away." 

uBut  I  am  a  good  swimmer,"  I  replied,  "and  I 
think  I  could  reach  the  opposite  shore  without  much 
difficulty." 

"  You've  got  the  nine  lives  to  the  cat,"  said  Sam ; 
"and  hyer's  what's  said  it  afore ;  but  ef  you'd  got 
fifty  more,  you'd  want  'em  all  into  that  thar  drink,  or 
else  I'm  a old  woodchuck — chaw  me !  Augh !" 

I  did  not  make  the  attempt — nor  did  any  one  else 
that  night — and  so  Yarney  and  I  still  remained  apart, 
though  not  more  than  three  hundred  yards  divided 
us.  On  the  following  morning,  the  stream  not  having 
subsided  any  during  the  night,  Lieutenant  Parker 
ordered  a  raft  to  be  constructed ;  but  it  was  not  till 
late  in  the  afternoon  that  it  was  considered  launched 
and  ready  for  a  cargo ;  and  as  there  was  now  only 
sufficient  daylight  for  one  passage  back  and  forth,  it 
was  resolved  to  defer  the  transportation  to  another 
day.  As  a  matter  of  course,  my  friend  and  I  re 
mained  another  night  apart,  and  I  keenly  felt  the  dis 
appointment  of  not  seeing  one  who  was  all  this  time 
mourning  me  as  dead. 

On  the  second  morning,  the  transportation  began 
about  sunrise;  and  when  the  raft  returned,  after 
taking  over  the  first  freight,  I  returned  with  it,  to  the 
astonishment  of  all  who  saw  me.  Before  I  reached 


REJOIN    MY    FRIEND.  269 

Yarney,  some  one  informed  him  that  I  was  alive,  and 
well,  and  had  returned ;  and  he  came  running  forward 
to  meet  me,  almost  doubting  his  senses.  The  next 
minute,  with  the  exclamation,  "Great  God!  it  is 
true  I"  he  threw  himself  upon  my  neck,  and  fainted 
in  my  arms. 

I  pass  over  the  congratulations  which  I  received 
from  all  parties,  who  looked  upon  me  as  one  from  the 
dead — nor  did  their  astonishment  cease  when  they 
heard  the  story  of  my  thrilling  adventures.  From 
that  moment  I  became  a  sort  of  lion  among  men  who 
might,  in  one  sense,  be  said  to  have  hair-breadth 
escapes  for  a  pastime ;  but  besides  the  startling  facts 
in  my  case,  there  was  a  wild,  romantic  interest  attached 

to  them,  which  bore  off  the  palm. 

Two  men  had  been  killed  in  the  fight,  and  one  or 

two  others  slightly  wounded ;  but  it  was  supposed  the 
Indians  had  lost  some  fifteen  or  twenty  of  their  party 
— though  the  number  could  not  be  accurately  ascej> 
tained,  as  they  took  care  to  bear  off  their  dead  and 
wounded,  with  only  a  few  exceptions.  Our  party  had 
also  lost  several  horses — but  Yarney's  and  mine  were 
safe. 

Considering  the  stormy  weather,  and  his  grief  at 
my  supposed  death,  Yarney  had  suffered  less  in 
health,  during  my  absence,  than  might  have  been 
expected ;  and  my  return  so  raised  his  spirits,  that  for 
several  days  he  seemed  to  forget  his  physical  ailments 
altogether ;  but  after  that  his  system,  took  a  sudden 
reaction,  and  he  began  to  decline  so  rapidly  that  I 


270  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

feared  he  would  not  reach  Bent's  Fort  alive.  From 
being  able  to  ride  his  horse  for  six  or  eight  hours  at 
a  time,  he  soon  became  so  weak  and  prostrated  that 
he  could  not  sit  up  without  support,  and  was  obliged 
to  keep  to  his  rude  bed  in  the  jolting  wagon.  His 
cough  grew  more  and  more  troublesome,  keeping  him 
awake  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  exhausting  all 
his  vital  forces,  and  leaving  him  too  weak  to  speak 
aloud  till  after  sleep.  I  did  all  I  could  to  render  his 
situation,  not  comfortable,  but  bearable  ;  and  looking 
to  death  as  his  only  relief,  I  almost  wished  for  the 
hour  when  he  would  be  at  rest. 

After  passing  Pawnee  Fork,  our  route  lay  along  the 
valley  of  the  Arkansas.  Millions  of  buffaloes  now 
surrounded  us;  and  often,  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  we  saw  nothing  else.  Occasionally  we  espied 
small  bands  of  wild  horses — but  they  never  suffered 
us  to  approach  very  near  them.  The  deer,  the  elk, 
and  the  antelope,  sometimes  diversified  the  scene ; 
but  the  buffalo  seemed  lord  of  the  domain — attended 
by  his  enemy,  the  wolf — which,  though  apparently 
on  friendly  terms,  never  failed  to  take  advantage  of 
the  misfortunes  of  his  good-natured,  indulgent  neigh 
bor.  There  is  a  species  of  wolf  that  always  accompa 
nies  the  buffalo,  to  prey  upon  the  disabled  and  young ; 
but  the  nobler  animal,  so  far  as  I  could  discover,  has 
no  fear  of  his  sneaking,  insiduous,  blood-thirsty  foe, 
and  no  suspicion  of  his  design,  till  too  late  to  save 
himself  from  his  cruel  fangs. 

The  remainder  of  our  journey  was  not  without  inci- 


271 

dents,  but  none  of  sufficient  interest  to  deserve  special 
notice.  Several  of  the  men  fell  sick  on  the  route — 
two  died,  and  were  buried  on  the  way— and  I  at  one 
time  suffered  severely  from  an  attack  of  bilious  colic ; 
but  my  disease  yielded  to  medical  treatment,  and  I 
was  confined  only  one  day  to  the  wagon,  which  bore 
along  the  wasted  form  of  my  suffering  friend.  El 
Doliente,  his  servant,  and  Botter  accompanied  the 
military  train  ;  and  on  the  last  day  of  June,  18 — ,  our 
eyes  were  greeted  with  the  waving  of  the  stars  and 
stripes  above  the  walls  of  that  wilderness  stronghold 
known  as  Bent's  Fort. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE     PARTING     AT     BENT'S. 

BENT'S  FORT  stands  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Arkansas, 
near  the  stream,  which  here  flows  over  a  pebbly  bot 
tom,  and  is  easily  forded,  the  water  seldom  being 
over  two  feet  in  depth.  The  fort  itself,  is  a  large, 
square  building,  constructed  of  the  Mexican  adobes, 
or  sun-dried  bricks.  It  is  flanked  by  circular  bastions, 
loop-holed  for  musketry,  and  is  entered  through  a 
large  gate,  which  opens  upon  a  corral  or  yard. 
Fronting  upon  this  inner  court,  are  the  dwellings, 
rooms,  shops,  offices,  stables,  etc.,  of  the  different 
occupants  of  the  station. 


272  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

Great  is  the  variety  of  character  to  be  found  in  one 
of  these  western  fortresses ;  for  in  this  respect  they 
are  much  alike — from  the  Yellow  Stone  to  the  Gila — 
from  the  Missouri  to  the  Columbia.  Being  the  trading 
posts  of  whites  and  Indians,  they  often  present  a  curious 
mixture  of  races.  Here,  in  a  group  of  twenty,  you 
will  not  unfrequently  find  an  American,  an  English 
man,  a  German,  a  Spaniard,  a  Frenchman,  a  Mexican, 
an  African,  and  Indians  from  different  tribes  ;  and  of 
these  whites — unless  Government  troops,  with  perhaps 
an  occasional  traveler — nine-tenths  will  be  traders, 
trappers,  hunters,  teamsters  and  guides — always  ex 
cepting,  of  course,  the  parties  of  emigrants  halting  on 
their  way  to  and  from  more  distant  regions. 

Many  of  these  whites,  too,  these  mountaineers,  are 
but  little  removed  from  savages — having  been  all 
their  lives  in  the  wilderness,  away  from  the  refine 
ments  of  civilized  society — and,  as  a  natural  conse 
quence,  if  they  marry  at  all,  they  generally  find  them 
Indian  wives;  and  if  they  settle,  select  some  well 
known  trading  post,  and  pass  the  remainder  of  their 
days  afar  from  their  native  soil  and  beyond  the  reach 
of  law.  I  saw  numbers  here  who  had  Indian  wives, 
and  appeared  to  be  contented  and  happy — many  of 
their  children  being  bright,  active,  and  beautiful  in 
form  and  feature. 

On  arriving  at  this  station,  I  immediately  made  the 
best  provision  I  could  for  poor  Yarney.  During  the 
last  few  days  of  our  journey,  he  had  regained  a  little 
strength,  so  that  he  could  walk  a  short  distance;  and 


THE    PARTING    AT    BENT'S.  273 

sit  up  for  an  hour  or  two  at  a  time ;  but  no  one  who 
saw  him,  believed  he  would  live  to  reach  the  moun 
tains,  which  were  still  many  leagues  distant.  He  met 
kindness  and  sympathy  from  every  quarter,  and  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  procuring  him  the  best  accommoda 
tions  which  the  station  afforded ;  and  I  also  secured 
him  a  faithful  attendant,  in  the  person  of  a  half-breed, 
who  promised  not  to  leave  him  till  his  health  should 
be  restored  or  death  should  end  the  scene.  My 
reasons  for  this  course  of  proceeding,  together  with 
some  matters  of  interest  to  the  reader,  and  the  dispo 
sition  I  was  about  to  make  of  myself,  will  be  gathered 
from  the  following  conversation,  which  took  place 
between  Yarney  and  myself  about  a  week  after  our 
arrival  at  the  fort. 

The  room  assigned  to  Yarney  was  small,  but 
comfortable.  It  contained  a  good  bed,  a  deal  table, 
a  couple  of  chairs,  arid  had  chintz  curtains  to  its 
single  window,  which,  together  with  the  door,  looked 
out  upon  the  corral.  These  little  things,  trifling  in 
themselves,  gave  the  apartment  a  cheerful  appearance ; 
and  this,  I  think,  is  seldom  without  its  effect  upon 
the  occupant,  especially  if  he  is  suffering  from  a 
disease  which  at  times  causes  him  great  depression  of 
spirits.  It  was  not  without  its  effect,  I  am  certain, 
upon  my  friend,  who  seemed  to  brighten  a  little 
every  day,  and  gradually  regain  the  hope  he  had  re 
cently  lost.  It  was  to  this  room  I  repaired  one  night, 
about  nine  o'clock.  I  found  Yarney  in  bed,  expecting 
me,  with  a  lamp  burning  upon  the  table.  I  drew  up 
16 


274  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

a  chair  to  his  side;  sat  down,  and  took  his  thin  hand 
in  mine ;  but  it  was  perhaps  a  minute  ere  either  of  us 
broke  the  solemn  silence. 

"  So,"  he  said  at  length,  with  a  deep  sigh,  and  in 
a  tremulous  tone — "  the  hour  I  have  so  long  dreaded 
has  come  at  last — the  hour  in  which  we  must  part, 
perhaps  to  meet  no  more  on  earth  !" 

"Let  us  hope  otherwise,  my  dear  friend — let  us 
hope  otherwise !"  said  I ;  "we  should  never  despair 
of  the  possible !" 

"  No,  Eoland,  I  will  not  wholly  despair ;  and 
though  this  separation  is  painful  to  me,  I  will  try 
and  bear  it  like  a  man — trusting  in  God — for  I  think 
it  is  for  the  best." 

"  Ah  !  my  dear  friend,  it  gives  me  joy  to  hear  you 
speak  thus,"  said  I;  "for  I  have  all  along  been 
afraid  you  would  not  be  able  to  take  leave  of  me  with 
anything  like  composure." 

"  Nor  should  I  now,  Eoland,  had  I  not  in  a  great 
measure  prepared  myself  for  the  trial ;  and  did  not 
my  comparatively  comfortable  situation  here — even 
here,  in  the  wilderness — render  me  better  able  to 
bear  the  parting  than  at  any  time  since  our  £rst 
meeting." 

"  And  I  can  the  better  leave  you,"  said  I,  "  that  I 
feel  assured  you  will  be  well  cared  for,  and  receivo 
every  attention  and  kindness  which  your  situation  de 
mands.  All  I  have  spoken  with  here,  deeply  sympa 
thize  with  you,  and  there  seems  to  be  one  universal 
wish  for  your  recovery.  Besides,  your  attendant, 


THE    PARTING    AT    B  E  N  T  '  S.  275 

Panto,  the  half-breed — recommended  to  me  by  Bent 
himself,  as  kind  and  faithful — has  already  formed  a 
strong  attachment  to  you — and,  if  you  go  to  the 
mountains,  will  go  with  you.  As  a  hunter  and  guide 
he  has  few  superiors.  He  knows  the  ground — is 
well  acquainted  with  Indian  wiles  and  stratagems — is 
companionable  and  prudent — and  can  serve  you  bet 
ter  than  I  could." 

"But  can  never  take  your  place  in  my  heart,  for 
all  that,"  sighed  Varney.  "  However,  it  is  well ;  and 
with  the  exception  of  losing  you,  I  know  not  that  it 
could  be  better  arranged.  Two  weeks  ago  I  had  no 
hope  of  reaching  the  mountains ;  I  was  looking  for 
death ;  but  now  I  am  so  much  improved,  that  I  trust 
a  couple  of  weeks  more  will  again  see  me  on  my  way ; 
so  let  me  thank  God  for  the  blessings  I  have,  and  look  on 
the  bright,  rather  than  on  the  dark,  side  of  the  picture." 

"  And  it  is  possible,  ere  two  weeks  expire,  I  may 
rejoin  you,"  I  replied. 

"  If  I  could  only  be  assured  of  that,  I  should  be 
happy;  but  you  will  not  return  in  two  weeks,  Koland ; 
though  I  pray  God  you  may  some  time  return,  and 
find  your  journey  has  not  been  made  in  vain  !  All  is 
arranged,  I  suppose,  for  your  departure  ?" 

"Yes — we  leave  to-morrow  at  the  break  of  day; 
and,  thanks  to  the  noble  Spaniard,  we  have  a  strong 
party  of  experienced  men,  all  well  armed  and  well 
mounted." 

"  How  many  do  you  number  ? 


276  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"Fourteen  in  all,  including  the  negro,  and  two 
Indians  who  will  act  as  guides  and  interpreters." 

"  And  where  do  you  expect  to  find  this  Arrapahoe 
village?" 

"That  we  cannot  say,  as  this  is  the  season  when 
they  are  continually  on  the  move.  Two  weeks  ago, 
I  understand,  the  grand  village  was  within  fifty  miles 
of  here — now  it  may  be  two  hundred  distant — we 
must  search  for  it." 

"  And  you  are  not  sure  the  girl  is  their  prisoner 
after  all?" 

"  Alas !  no — would  I  knew  even  that !" 

"  You  are  still  resolved,  I  suppose,  to  try  mild  mea 
sures  first?" 

"  Yes,  we  shall  take  three  mules,  loaded  with  such 
articles  as  Indians  prize ;  and  if  we  find  the  girl  and 
her  companion,  we  shall  endeavour  to  purchase  them ; 
but  if  we  fail  to  get  possession  of  them  peaceably,  let 
their  captors  beware  of  blows !" 

"But  fourteen  is  a  small  number  to  attack  a  strong, 
warlike  tribe !" 

"What  we  lack  in  numbers  we  must  make  up  in 
valor.  But  I  do  not  apprehend  we  shall  come  to 
strife;  for  Indians,  everywhere,  hold  their  female 
prisoners  at  some  price,  and  we  are  prepared  to  pay 
even  a  high  ransom." 

"  And  does  this  noble  Spaniard  bear  all  the  expense 
of  the  expedition  ?" 

"Nearly  so.  He  would  have  taken  the  whole  ex 
pense  upon  himself;  but  I  insisted  on  fitting  out  Bot- 


THE    PARTING    AT    BENT'S.  277 

ter,  and  paying  him  ;  and  nothing  but  want  of  means 
prevented  my  claiming  the  right  to  pay  at  least  half 
of  all  the  rest.  As  it  is,  I  am  forced  to  content  my 
self  with  the  intention  of  reimbursing  him  after  my 
return  to  the  States — though  he  has  positively  de 
clared  he  will  never  accept  a  single  coin  from  me  for 
such  a  purpose.  We  shall  see." 

"  What  a  noble,  generous  soul  1" 

"  He  is  indeed,  Alfred — a  man  among  a  million." 

"  And  you  are  well  mated,  Eoland." 

"  Thank  you  for  the  compliment." 

"  Bather  thank  God  for  the  fact,  my  friend,"  said 
Varney,  earnestly.  "  How  soldom  it  is,"  he  continued, 
reflectively,  "that  we  find  a  human  being  who  acts 
for  the  good  of  others,  without  some  motive  of  self 
being  at  the  bottom." 

"There  may  be  none  entirely  devoid  of  self,"  I 
rejoined  ;  "but  there  are  a  few  who,  when  compared 
with  the  many,  appear  so — the  distinction  between 
them  and  the  generality  of  mankind  is  so  marked — 
the  difference  so  great.  But  a  word  of  yourself.  You 
have  improved  so  much  during  the  last  few  days,  that 
I  trust,  as  you  say,  a  couple  of  weeks  will  see  you 
able  to  resume  your  journey ;  but  I  would  advise  you 
not  to  set  out  till  you  feel  strong  enough  to  ride  at 
least  twenty  miles  a  day ;  and  at  that  rate  you  will 
soon  reach  La  !*uebla  de  San  Carlos,  whence  you  can 
gain  the  mountain  heights,  in  the  vicinity  of  Pike's 
Peak,  with  very  little  difficulty.  I  suppose,  if  you 


278  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

live,  it  is  your  design  to  spend  the  winter  in  this 
quarter  ?" 

"  Yes,  my  friend,  such  is  my  hope." 

"  "Well,  if  I  come  back  from  this  expedition,  it 
shall  be  my  care  to  visit  you  ere  I  return  to  the 
States." 

"  Say  you  so  !"  cried  Yarney,  eagerly.  "  Oh  I  the 
very  idea  gives  me  joy  1  Oh !  Eolancl,  if  I  could  have 
you  with  me,  and  regain  my  health,  I  should  be  the 
happiest  mortal  living  !  What  a  delightful  time  we 
could  have  in  hunting  along  the  valleys  of  the  moun 
tain  streams — where,  I  am  told,  game  of  all  kinds  can 
be  found  in  abundance,  from  the  buffalo  to  the  coyote 
— including  deer,  elk,  antelope,  bears,  wolves,  and 
mountain  goats.  But  the  dream — and  it. is  a  dream 
— is  too  bright  for  a  reality.  It  is  your  intention  to 
return  in  the  fall,  and  I  would  not  persuade  you  to 
remain  longer  away  from  those  who  love  you,  and 
have  the  first  claim  upon  you.  But  you  will  see  me 
again — promise  me  that !" 

"Providence  permitting,  I  certainly  will,  Alfred; 
and  though  I  will  make  no  promise  of  remaining  with 
you  for  any  length  of  time,  yet  we  will  talk  over  the 
past,  and  speculate  on  the  future ;  and  perhaps  your 
bright  dream,  as  you  term  it,  may  not  prove  all  a 
dream.  Take  care  of  yourself,  my  dear  friend — be 
ever  cautious  and  never  rash — and  always  remember 
your  life  is  valuable  to  more  than  yourself." 

"  It  is  sweet  to  think  so!"  said  Yarney,  grasping 


THE    PAKTING    AT    BENT'S.  279 

my  hand,  while  tears  filled  his  eyes  ;  "  it  is  sweet  to 
think  that  when  we  die  we  shall  be  mourned !" 

"  And  you  would  be  sadly  mourned,  by  two  at  least, 
Alfred — by  him  who  now  stands  beside  you,  and  by 
her  who  is  far  away." 

"I  believe  it,  Koland — God  bless  you  both — I 
believe  it !"  returned  Yarney,  so  stirred  with  emotion 
that  he  could  scarcely  articulate  the  words  "And 
pray  take  the  advice  you  have  given  me,  to  yourself, 
my  dear  friend !  for  you  will  not  perish  unwept ;  and 
you — pardon  me,  Roland  !  you  are  more  rash  than  I 
— and  you  are  about  to  start  on  a  perilous  expedition. 
I  sincerely  pray  you  may  be  successful;  for  aside 
from  an  earnest  desire  that  these  poor  prisoners  may 
be  reclaimed,  I  know  success  would  render  you  happy, 
and  your  happiness  lies  at  my  heart." 

We  conversed  a  few  minutes  longer;  and  then, 
with  a  melancholy  depression  of  spirits — for  it  was 
very  uncertain  if  we  should  ever  meet  again — I  said, 
in  an  unsteady  tone : 

"  And  now,  Alfred,  it  only  remains  for  me  to  bid 
you  farewell." 

"  Must  we  then  part  ?"  cried  Variiey,  with  a  flood 
of  tears. 

"  It  is  even  so,"  said  I,  with  dim  eyes  and  quiver 
ing  lips.  "  It  is  getting  late — I  have  some  matters  to 
arrange  before  I  sleep — and  I  shall  leave  too  early  to 
see  you  in  the  morning.  Let  us  hope  all  may  turn 
out  as  we  could  wish ;  and  we  must  remember,  that 
the  same  Power  which  has  preserved  us  during  our 


280  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

perils,  is  around  us  still ;  and  that  we  cannot  perish, 
except  it  be  by  the  will  of  Him  who  gave  us  life. 
Trust  in  God,  my  dear  Alfred,  and  hope  1  Farewell !  " 

"  God  bless  and  preserve  you !"   he  rather  gasped 
than  said.     "Farewell,  my  friend — farewell  1" 

In  an  instant  we  were  locked  in  each  others  arms ; 
and  for  perhaps  a  minute  we  stood  sobbing,  but 
without  speaking  another  word.  Then  gently  dis 
engaging  his  arms,  I  laid  Yarney  carefully  on  the 
bed,  and  rushed  from  the  apartment,  feeling  as  if 
stifled  for  the  want  of  air.  So  we  parted. 
wl 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE       EXPEDITION. 

IT  wanted  more  than  an  hour  of  day,  when  I 
arose,  from  an  unrefreshing  sleep,  and  found  my  way 
into  the  corral.  All  was  quiet — no  one  was  yet 
stirring.  The  night  was  clear  and  serene,  and  the 
moon,  now  near  its  full,  and  far  toward  the  west,  threw 
its  silvery  light  against  the  walls  of  the  fortress,  and  a 
portion  of  its  rays  just  kissed  the  ground  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  court.  In  the  blue  concave  above, 
a  few  bright  stars  were  visible ;  and  fixing  my  eyes 
upon  these,  I  stood  and  wondered  if  either  would  be 
my  home,  when  my  spirit  should  part  from  its  mortal 


THE    EXPEDITION.  281 

tenement   and  wing  its  flight   into  the   realms  of 

eternity. 

And  when  would  that  event  occur  ?  "Would  it  be 

soon?  or  had  I  many  years  of  earthly  pilgrimage, 
earthly  joys  and  sorrows,  before  me?  "Who  should 
say?  What  of  that  mysterious  future,  which  now 
lay  before  me  as  a  wall  of  darkness,  into  which  no 
human  sight  might  penetrate?  I  was  about  to  set 
out  on  an  expedition  of  peril,  to  rescue  one  sweet 
being  who  occupied  my  thoughts  by  night  and  by 
day.  Yes — disguise  the  matter  as  I  might,  even 
almost  to  the  deceiving  of  myself— my  mind  con 
tinually  evoked  the  image  of  the  sweet,  lovely  Adele 
as  I  had  seen  her ;  and  her  voice  of  silvery  sweetness 
was  ever  ringing  in  my  soul  in  sad  and  plaintive 
tones.  She  seemed  to  conjure  me,  by  all  that  is 
sacred  and  holy  in  human  sympathy,  to  come  to  her 
aid.  And  I  was  going — was  even  now  on  the  point 
of  departure.  I  had  already  bidden  my  bosom  friend 
farewell,  and  experienced  a  painful  separation,  that  I 
might  fly  to  her  rescue.  Yes,  I  was  going.  But 
whither?  and  to  what  end?  I  was  going — but 
should  I  ever  return?  Should  I  find  and  save  her, 
and  return  happy  in  the  knowledge  that  to  me  she 
owed  her  deliverance  ?  Or  should  painful  disappoint 
ments  greet  me,  and  perils  end  in  death,  and  my 
body  lie  lonely  in  an  unknown  grave,  afar  from  my 
native  land,  my  kindred,  and  my  friends  ?  The 
future  held  all;  the  result  was  in  the  future;  but 
who,  save  Him  who  is  past,  present,  and  to  come, 


282  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

could  look  beyond  the  veil,  and  say  what  destiny  was 
there  marked  out  for  Eoland  Rivers  ? 

While  I  stood  lost  in  thought,  a  hand  lightly 
touched  my  shoulder.  I  turned,  and  encountered 
Juan  El  Doliente. 

"  You  are  up  betimes,  my  friend,"  he  said. 

"I  could  not  sleep,"  I  replied.  "  I  last  night  took  a 
solemn  leave  of  Alfred  Yarney,  and  the  parting  was 
not  without  its  effect  upon  my  nervous  system.  And 
add  to  this,  my  fancy  would  perforce  run  before  me 
into  the  future,  and  endeavor  to  reveal  the  result  of 
this  expedition." 

"And  with  what  success?" 

"None  to  rely  on.  Hope  says  we  may  succeed — 
Fear  says  we  may  fail." 

"I  have  had  a  singular  dream  on  this  very  subject," 
said  El  Doliente,  thoughtfully ;  "a  dream,  bright, 
beautiful,  ecstatic,  glorious!  I  am  not  a  credulous 
believer  in  dreams  as  omens;  but  there  was  some 
thing  about  this  resembling  rather  a  prophet's  vision 
than  a  wandering  fancy,  and  it  made  me  so  very, 
very  happy.  It  is  possible  for  it  to  be  fulfilled, 
exactly  as  I  beheld  it ;  and  God  grant  it  may  be  ful 
filled,  even  though  it  now  seems  as  if  its  realization 
would  drive  me  mad  with  joy." 

"May  I  know  the  dream  ?" 

"  If  it  be  fulfilled,  yes — but  not  now." 

"  Hello,  boys !"  exclaimed  the  voice  of  Sam  at  this 
moment.  "I  thought  as  how  old  One-Eyed  war  the 
fust  nigger  up ;  but  I  sees  I  aint — chaw  me !  Wall, 


THE     EXPEDITION.  283 

Cap'en,  (a  title  bestowed  upon  the  Spaniard,  as  the 
leader  of  the  expedition,)  Ispose  we're  off  in  a  jiffy, 
hey  ?» 

"It  is  my  wish  to  be  on  the  way  by  daylight,"  re 
plied  El  Doliente. 

"  Them's  'em !"  said  Botter,  taking  his  way  to  the 
stables,  whither  we  followed,  to  see  that  our  animals 
were  properly  cared  for. 

In  a  few  minutes,  one  after  another  of  our  party 
assembled  in  the  corral,  and  then  we  all  became  busy 
with  our  preparations  for  an  early  start.  The  mules 
were  brought  out  and  packed  by  a  Mexican  who  was 
to  have  charge  of  them  during  the  expedition ;  and  as 
the  process  of  mule  packing  may  be  interesting  to  the 
uninitiated,  I  will  give  a  brief  description  of  it  in  this 
place. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  mule  is  the  most  stubborn 
of  all  animals ;  and  to  manage  him  well,  requires  no 
little  art  and  experience,  to  say  nothing  of  a  vast 
amount  of  patience.  True,  Yarney  and  I  had  had  no 
difficulty  with  ours ;  but  this  was  rather  the  exception 
than  the  rule,  and  those  of  the  trappers  were  excep 
tions  also ;  but  we  had  witnessed  some  rather  trying 
and  ludicrous  scenes,  and,  in  western  parlance,  had 
heard  some  "pretty  tall  swearing,"  occasioned  by  the 
freaks  of  this  intractable  quadruped.  But  wilful, 
wayward,  and  stubborn  as  this  animal  is,  it  can  be 
mastered  and  brought  under  due  subjection;  the 
means,  however,  become  almost  a  science,  which  none 
better  understand  than  your  true  Mexican  muleteer — • 


284  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

•who,  in  catching,  packing,  driving,  and  unpacking, 
flourishes  in  the  full  glory  of  his  ambition.  If  the 
mule,  from  high  feed  and  idleness,  takes  it  into  his 
head  to  become  refractory,  on  being  required  to  re« 
sume  his  labors,  as  was  the  case  with  one  of  El  Doli- 
ente's,  the  lasso  of  the  muleteer  immediately  tightens 
around  his  neck,  and  he  is  instantly  brought  to  the 
ground,  and  choked  into  the  belief  that  he  is  no  longer 
his  own  master.  The  moment  he  is  subdued,  he  is 
permitted  to  rise;  and  if  about  to  be  packed,  a  blind 
is  thrown  over  his  eyes ;  and  then  the  saddle-cloth, 
with  a  thick  pad  of  stuffed  leather,  in  shape  like  an 
open  book,  is  placed  upon  his  back,  and  strapped 
down  by  a  broad  belt,  which  is  drawn  so  tight,  with 
the  strength  of  two  men,  one  on  either  side  of  the 
animal,  as  to  cause  the  latter  to  bellow  with  pain ; 
and  to  one  who  sees  it  done  for  the  first  time,  it  appears 
as  if  the  beast  were  about  to  be  cut  in  two.  This, 
however,  is  a  necessary  proceeding — for  it  prevents 
chafing,  and  causes  the  mule  to  travel  with  more  ease. 
On  this  saddle  is  placed  the  pack,  containing  the 
articles  to  be  transported,  weighing  anywhere  between 
fifty  and  four  hundred  pounds;  and  this  is  lashed  on 
by  a  rope,  passing  tightly  around  the  beast,  and  is 
covered  by  a  square  oil-cloth,  or  matting,  to  protect 
the  whole  from  the  rain. 

Our  mulada  consisted  of  three  of  these  animals — 
one  packed  with  provisions,  camp  utensils,  and  sun 
dries,  and  the  two  others  with  blankets,  knives,  am 
munition,  and  trinkets  for  Indian  trade.  Neither  of 


THE     EXPEDITION.  285 

the  three  were  heavily  laden — for  it  was  our  design  to 
travel  with  some  speed — and  each  man,  well  armed 
and  equipped,  was  mounted  on  a  strong,  fleet  horse. 

As  daylight  fairly  absorbed  the  silvery  rays  of  the 
declining  moon,  we  rode  through  the  gate  at  Bent's 
Fort,  a  picturesque  looking  party  of  fourteen,  with  a 
crowd  of  spectators,  among  whom  was  Lieutenant 
Parker,  wishing  us  God  speed  and  a  happy  termina 
tion  to  our  hazardous  undertaking.  Our  party  con 
sisted  of  El  Doliente  and  his  servant  Cato,  two  Mexi 
cans,  two  Indians,  three  American  mountaineers,  three 
French  voyageurs,  Better,  and  myself;  and  though  we 
were  of  mixed  races,  care  had  been  taken  to  get  men 
of  experience  and  undoubted  courage. 

We  shaped  our  course  to  the  northward,  and  by 
noon  we  had,  to  the  best  of  our  judgment,  put  some 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  between  us  and  Bent's,  not 
withstanding  the  mules  had  several  times  proved  re 
fractory,  one  of  them  kicking  and  plunging  till  he 
relieved  himself  of  his  pack,  which  had  to  be  again 
put  on,  the  whole  causing  at  least  an  hour's  delay. 

"We  were  now  once  more  on  the  broad  prairie,  but 
not  on  the  buffalo  range  of  the  present  season,  for  not 
one  of  these  animals  was  in  sight.  We  saw  a  few 
antelopes;  but  they  were  too  wild  to  come  within 
rifle  range;  and  so  we  made  our  noonday  meal  of 
dried  meat,  and  a  small  allowance  of  dry  corn-bread, 
which  we  had  brought  with  us,  washing  the  whole 
down  with  some  brackish  water,  which  we  procured 
from  a  slimy  pool—the  first  water,  in  fact,  we  had  seen 


286  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

since  within  five  miles  of  the  station.  "We  liad  no 
shade,  for  there  was  not  a  tree  in  sight,  and  the  bright 
sun  poured  down  upon  us  its  piercing  rays  of  heat,  with 
scarcely  a  ruffle  of  the  air  to  relieve  us.  Our  animals 
appeared  to  suffer  as  much  as  ourselves ;  and  having 
drank  in  turn,  and  drained  the  pool  of  its  unwhole 
some  contents,  without  their  thirst  being  quenched, 
and  some  of  them  showing  little  disposition  to  feed, 
we  thought  it  best  to  remount  and  push  on  till  we 
could  find  a  suitable  place  for  our  night's  encamp 
ment. 

The  view  before  us  was  now  monotonous  in  the  ex 
treme.  A  flat,  sandy,  arid  plain  stretched  away  to  the 
horizon,  in  almost  every  direction,  bearing  only  a  few 
sage  bushes,  and  the  short,  brown,  crisped-looking 
buffalo  grass,  so  sparsely  planted  as  to  give  nothing 
of  an  ordinary  turf-like  appearance  to  the  soil.  Not 
a  tree,  not  a  bush,  not  a  stream  was  in  sight — the 
earth  seemed  parched — and  the  hot  rays  of  the  sun, 
descending  and  reflecting,  almost  scorched  and  stifled 
us. 

We  advanced  about  ten  miles  further,  shaping  our 
course  more  to  the  eastward,  when  we  came  upon 
several  holes  containing  water ,  and  fearing  we  might 
fare  worse,  if  we  sought  anything  better,  we  encamped 
here  for  the  night.  Soon  after  turning  our  animals 
loose,  Botter  espied  some  three  or  four  antelopes,  far 
in  the  distance ;  and  being  the  first  to  discover  them, 
he  said  he  should  claim  them  as  his  meat ;  by  which 
he  meant,  that  no  other  hunter  of  the  party — which 


THE     EXPEDITION.  287 

was  already  divided  into  three  or  four  messes — should 
go  in  quest  of  them ;  but  if  they  wanted  game  for 
their  supper,  they  must  seek  it  elsewhere  for  them 
selves. 

"Freshwater,"  he  said  to  me,  "you're  some  to  deer, 
you  is,  and  this  hyer  old  coon  got  a  good  wet  on't  to 
Bent's ;  but  what  d'ye  think  of  them  thar  skeery 
critters  yonder,  hey?  D'ye  think  you  could  fotch 
one,  boy — hey?" 

"If  I  could  get  near  enough,  perhaps  I  might." 

"  If  they'd  only  stand  till  you  got  up  to  ?em, 
hey?" 

*•  A  hundred  yards  might  do,  Sam,  bad  shot  as  you 
think  me." 

"  Wall,  I'd  like  to  knock  over  two ;  and  so  'spose 
you  kim  along,  and  twig  old  one-eyed  coax  'em  up  to 
shooting  distance." 

I  assented,  and  we  set  off  at  once — though  I  did  not 
understand  what  he  meant  by  coaxing  so  wild  and 
timid  an  animal  as  the  antelope.  "We  made  a  circuit, 
so  as  to  get  to  the  leeward  of  them,  that  the  slight 
breeze  now  stirring  might  not  betray  us  by  our  scent; 
for  so  acute  is  the  sense  of  smell  in  nearly  all  wild 
animals,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  approach  the 
more  timid  to  the  windward  within  rifle  range.  Having 
got  the  breeze  in  our  faces,  we  advanced  slowly  and 
cautiously,  till  we  reached  a  thick  cluster  of  sage 
bushes,  distant  from  where  the  animals  were  feeding 
some  three  hundred  yards. 

"Now,"  said  Sam,  "ef  everything  goes  right,  we'll 


288  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

hev  decent  meat  inside  of  us  to  sleep  on,  ooy — you 
kin  gamble  on  to  that !  Lay  down,  and  keep  yourself 
quiet  as  a  nigger  stealing  corn." 

"  But  we  cannot  shoot  them  from  here  ?" 

"  Yes,  we  kin,  hoss  1" 

"  Well,  if  you  can,  blaze  away ;  but  as  for  myself,  I 
fancy  I  have  too  much  good  sense  to  waste  my  powder 
upon  an  antelope  at  three  hundred  yards." 

"I'll  tell  you  what,  Freshwater,"  pursued  Botter, 
"  old  One-Eyed  Sam  '11  gamble  on  to  it — chaw  me ! 
This  hyer  nigger  '11  jest  bet  you  a  pound  of  'bacca  that 
he'll  throw  one  of  them  critters  from  this  hyer  cache 
afore  sundown." 

"Done P  said  I—" fire  away !" 

"Not  yet — nary  once — not  so  green.  I'll  hev  to 
fotch  'em  up  nigher.  But  a  bet's  a  bet,  you  know — 
else  what  makes  parsimmons  pucker  ?  Augh  P 

"  Certainly,  a  bet  is  a  bet ;  and  you  must  shoot  one 
of  those  antelopes  from  here,  or  lose." 

"Expect." 

"  I  shall  be  happy  to  see  you  do  it." 

"  Lay  low  then,  and  twig  this  hyer  old  beaver." 

As  he  spoke,  Sam  produced  a  strip  of  a  red  blanket, 
which  he  proceeded  to  fasten  to  the  end  of  his  wiping- 
stick,  and  then  elevate  above  his  head  and  wave  to 
and  fro.  It  was  almost  instantly  perceived  by  the 
antelopes — which,  to  my  surprise,  instead  of  running 
away,  took  a  long,  steady  look  at  it,  and  then  began 
to  approach  us,  slowly  and  cautiously. 

"Them  thar  antes,"  said  Botter,  as  he  lay  on  his 


THE    EXPEDITION.  289 

back,  chuckling  at  the  success  of  his  stratagem  and 
my  surprise,  "  has  got  more  curiosity  nor  any  other 
critter  I  knows  on,  'cept  'tis  a  woman ;  and  she  beats 
the  hind  sights  off  o'  the  d — 1 ;  ef  she  don't,  why  does 
dogs  bark  ?  Augh !  Lay  low  thar ;  they  musn't  see 
you,  or  they'll  quit  to  once ;  for  no  matter  how  nice 
you  look  to  your  gal,  you're  no  beauty  to  them — chaw 
me !  Yes !  ye  see,  they  twig  this  hyer  old  rag,  and 
they  don't  know  what  to  make  on't,  and  so  they're  a 
kimming  to  see  ;  and  when  they  has  seed,  I  'spect  one 
on  'em  to  stay  to  meat ;  and  ef  you  kin  shoot  to  sixty 
yard,  plum  center,  may  be  two  on  'em  won't  travel 
no  furder.  Augh  1" 

"  And  they  are  really  approaching  us  from  curio 
sity?"  said  I. 

"  They  aint  doing  nothing  else,  Freshwater." 

The  whole  proceeding  was  full  of  novelty  to  me,  for 
it  was  my  first  acquaintance  with  the  hunter's 'strata 
gem  for  luring  the  timid  antelope  to  his  destruction. 
Slowly  the  animals  approached  us,  stopping  occasion 
ally  to  consider  the  danger  of  advancing  toward  an 
object  which  had  so  strong  a  hold  upon  their  curiosity, 
but  always  ending  their  cogitations  with  a  fresh  resolve 
to  make  a  closer  inspection.  Meantime  Botter  had 
stuck  one  end  of  the  wiping-stick  into  the  ground, 
and  brought  his  rifle  into  range,  so  that  he  could  sight 
and  fire  at  a  moment's  notice. 

"Fix  your  shooting  iron,  Freshwater,"  he  said, 
"and  see  what  you  kin  do  fur  your  living.  You  is 
good  to  a  hundred  yard,  you  say,  and  they  aint  much 

n 


290  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

furder  off  nor  that;  but  as  long  as  they  don't  gib 
skeered,  we'll  let  'em  kim  up  powerful  nigh.  D'ye 
see  that  chap  with  a  white  spot  over  his  nose  ?" 

"I  think  I  do." 

"Wall,  he's  the  fattest,  and  he's  my  meat,  you  kin 
gamble  on  to  that." 

"I  have,  you  know — do  not  forget  the  pound  of 
tobacco." 

uMe  forgit? — nary  once — chaw  me.  'Spect  you'll 
be  more  likely  to  do  that  nor  this  hyer  coon ;  but  ef 
you  does,  I'll  ax  you  for't — don't  be  afeard." 

"  You  talk  as  if  you  had  already  won." 

"  Thar — hush  now — keep  quiet ;  pick  out  your 
critter,  but  don't  take  mine.  They  ain't  more'n 
seventy-five  yard,  and  this  hyer  old  beaver  is  gitting 
a  desperate  hanker  for  some  of  thar  meat.  Grot  your 
sight  plum  center  ?" 

"  One  moment !  There — I  am  ready." 

"  Let  her  rip,  hoss." 

We  fired  together,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
two  of  the  animals  fall.  I  was  for  springing  up  and 
rushing  forward,  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure — but 
Sam  restrained  me. 

"  Hold  on  a  bit,  and  lay  low,  Freshwater — the  fun 
aint  over  yit.  You  done  well  for  a  greenhorn — chaw 
me;  but  thar's  a  smart  chance  left — don't  you  see? 
Them  fellers  as  fell  can't  run  away,  and  you  see  the 
others  is  looking  on  and  wondering  what  it's  all  about. 
Load  up,  boy — load  up — and  we'll  throw  a  couple 
more,  and  that'll  gin  the  whole  camp  some'at  to  chaw." 


TAKEN    PRISONER.  291 

What  Sam  said,  to  my  surprise,  I  saw  was  true. 
We  had  killed,  or  mortally  wounded,  two  of  the 
animals ;  and  the  others,  some  five  or  six  in  number, 
instead  of  running  away,  as  I  had  supposed  they 
instantly  would,  had  gathered  around  their  fallen 
companions,  and  were  evidently  wondering  at  the 
cause  of  their  prostration.  We  reloaded  our  rifles, 
keeping  our  horizontal  position  on  the  ground,  and, 
at  a  given  signal,  fired  together  again,  and  killed  two 
more.  The  others  now  took  fright,  and  disappeared 
with  the  fleetness  of  the  grey -hound. 

"This  hyer  one-eyed  old  nigger  ain't  a-gwine  to 
forgit  the  bacca,  Freshwater!"  said  Sam,  as  we  re 
turned  to  camp.  "No,  I  ain't — chaw  me — wagh  ! 
hagh  I  wagh  [" 


CHAPTER  XX. 

TAKEN    PRISONER. 

FOR  three  days  we  continued  our  journey  without 
any  incidents  worthy  of  note ;  but  on  the  fourth  day 
we  met  a  small  party  of  Pawnees ;  from  whom  we 
learned,  through  our  Indian  interpreters,  that  the  big 
village  of  the  Arrapahoes  was  supposed  to  be  some 
where  in  the  vicinity  of  Platte  River — at  least  a 
hundred,  perhaps  a  hundred  and  fifty,  miles  from 
where  we  now  were.  This  was  not  the  most  agreeable 
news,  as  we  had  hoped  to  find  them  somewhere  about 


292  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

the  Smoky  Hill  Fork ;  but  there  was  only  one  thing 
to  be  done  under  the  circumstances,  and  that  was  to 
push  on,  as  rapidly  as  possible,  till  we  should  discover 
them. 

On  the  sixth  night  from  leaving  Bent's  Fort,  we 
encamped  in  a  beautiful  grove  of  ash,  maple  and 
cottonwood,  which  shaded  the  banks  of  a  tributary 
of  the  Kepublican  Fork.  We  had  passed  over  flat, 
sandy,  almost  barren  prairies,  scarcely  seeing  a  tree 
or  a  stream  on  our  route  ;  and  therefore  the  sight  of 
this  beautiful  grove  was  refreshing  indeed — more 
especially,  as  it  was  filled  with  birds,  whose  sweet 
songs  enlivened  the  scene.  Near  us  was  a  shallow 
stream,  flowing  over  a  sandy  bed  ;  and  on  either  side, 
the  grand  solemn  prairies  stretched  away  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach.  In  the  valley  here  was  excellent 
grazing  for  our  weary  animals ;  and  as  we  had  suc 
ceeded  in  killing  a  buffalo,  whose  nutritious  flesh  was 
now  before  us,  we  were  in  good  spirits ;  and  around 
our  fires  that  night,  as  we  toasted  and  ate  our  meat, 
washing  it  down  with  pure  water,  or  coffee,  we  voted 
to  name  the  place  Camp  Delightful. 

"  It's  a  purty  name  enough,"  said  Better,  in  his  char 
acteristic  way — as,  having  filled  himself,  he  lighted 
his  pipe  at  the  fire,  and  threw  out  smoke  like  a  minia 
ture  volcano ;  "  yes,  it's  a  purty  name  enough,  is 
Camp  Delightful ;  but  when  this  hyer  old  beaver  seed 
this  spot  afore,  he  had  some'at  to  make  him  remember 
it  without  putting  sich  a  fixing  to  it — ef  he  hadn't, 
why  does  fishes  swim.  Augh !" 


TAKEN    PRISONER.  293 

"So,  my  friend,  you  have  been  here  before?"  said 
El  Doliente,  inquiringly. 

"  Wall  I  has,  hoss ;  and  ef  I  didn't  see  some  red 
niggers  that  thar  night,  then  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar ! 
Augh  1" 

As  he  said  this  emphatically,  he  drew  the  attention 
of  the  whole  party,  and  El  Doliente  rejoined. 

" Suppose  you  tell  us  the  story;  it  will  serve  to 
while  away  the  time  till  our  pipes  are  all  smoked  out." 

"  What  does  you  say  to  that  thar,  Ebony  ?"  inquired 
Sam,  turning  to  the  negro,  who  had  edged  his  way 
up  as  near  the  old  trapper  as  he  considered  prudent. 

"Me,  mas'er?"  returned  Cato,  in  surprise,  at  being 
thus  appealed  to. 

"Yes, you've  got  a  tongue  into  your  head  as  red  as 
a  biled  lobster ;  and  what's  the  use  on't  ef  you  don't 
say  nothing?  Your  pealed-inyun  eyes  shows  you're 
in  fur  the  gist  on't — else  why  was  niggers  made  ?  So 
what  d'ye  say  now  ? — blurt  her  out  and  don't  chaw ! 
Augh!" 

Cato  looked  inquiringly  at  his  master,  who  said, 
with  a  laugh : 

"The  white  gentleman  (nodding  to  Sam)  would 
like  to  know  if  you  wish  to  hear  his  story  ?" 

"  Golly  I  if  dat's  it,  den  dis  chile  say  yes,  sah  1" 
replied  Cato,  with  a  grin. 

"  In  course  that's  it,"  pursued  Sam ;  "  and  the  man's 
a fool  as  thinks  it  aint." 

"  We  all  verree  mushe  like  you  tell  him  to  hear," 
said  one  of  the  French  voyageurs. 


THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  "Wall,  squat  around,  boys,  and  hyer  goes,  plum 
center,"  said  Sam. 

We  all  formed  a  half  circle  around  the  old  trapper, 
who  proceeded  to  tell  us  the  following  thrilling  story. 

"Me  and  a  chap  called  Stag-Horn,"  began  Sam, 
"  kim  over  here  one  winter,  'bout  ten  year  ago,  on  our 
way  to  the  mountains.  We  started  with  three 
muleys;  but  thar  kim  along  one  of  the  infarnallest 
snow  storms  as  ever  froze  ha'r,  and  every  bone  on  'em 
•went  under,  leaving  us  afoot  and  clean  froze.  We 
had  our  shooting  irons,  and  we  tumbled  through  the 
snow,  without  seeing  nary  splinter  fur  a  fire,  nary 
once.  For  two  days  we  tramped  without  sleeping, 
with  our  ha'r  froze  stiff,  and  our  skins  feeling  like 
fishes'  scales,  which  means  they  didn't  feel  at  all. 
Augh !  Wall,  the  third  day,  jest  as  we  was  'gwine 
to  gin  in  to  freezing,  and  gin  the  wolves  a  taste,  we 
kim  to  a  dog  town,  whar  the  wind  had  blowed  the 
snow  off,  and  we  burnt  powder  and  got  half-a-dozen. 
We  hadn't  had  nary  chaw  sence  the  night  afore,  and 
the  first  two  went  in  without  cooking,  for  we  knowed 
death  war  about,  and  felt  cantankerous.  Arter  that, 
we  pulled  forward,  and  got  to  this  spot,  jest  as  the  sun 
war  squatting  over  the  icykels  of  the  Rocky. 

"  '  Hyer's  wood,'  says  I  to  Stag-Horn — for  the 
snow'd  drifted  and  left  a  bare  spot — '  and  we'll  make  a 
fire  kim,  and  feast  on  dog  to-night.  Hooray !' 

"  'Ef  we  wont,  tell  me  I'm  han'some/  says  Stag- 
Horn  ;  and  that  'ud  been  one  of  the  lies,  fur  he  warn't 
nary  beauty,  no  how. 


TAKEN    PEISONEE. 


295 


"Wall,  you  kin  gamble  on  to  it,  we  fetched  a  fire, 
and  tuk  a  thaw;  and  then  the  way  them  thar  dog 
went  in,  every  thing  'cept  skin  and  ha'r,  war  a  caution 
to  old  sinners!  Hello,  nigger!  (to  Cato)  don't  grin 
that  thar  way,  or  you'll  cut  off  the  top  of  your  head 
— chaw  me !" 

"You — you'll  'scuse  me — but — but  you  is  so  berry 
funny !"  roared  Cato. 

"Wall,  jest  open  your  meat-trap  then;  but  ef  you 
lose  your  wool,  don't  say  old  One-Eyed  Sam  didn't 
tell  ye  better." 

Botter  now  took  a  long  and  strong  pull  at  his  pipe, 
and,  rolling  out  a  heavy  volume  of  smoke,  proceeded : 

"  Boys,  the  way  me  and  Stag-Horn  sot  up  to  that 
thar  fire,  was  like  to  courting  a  sugar-planter's 
darter ;  we  fairly  hugged  it ;  yes,  chaw  me  up  fur  a 
liar  ef  we  did'nt!  Augh!  Arter  we'd  got  thawed 
out,  so  as  we  felt  human,  we  piled  on  more  wood,  and 
lay  down  to  it,  not  'specting  ary  skunk  of  a  Injun 
would  be  so  froze  fur  ha'r  as  to  be  out  on  sich  a  night 
— nary  one;  but  we  didn't  do  the  infarnal  thieves 
justice ;  for  jest  as  we'd  got  asleep — whiz,  whiz — 
bang,  bang — kim  arrers  and  bullets  right  among  us, 
with  the  tallest  screeching  and  yelling  ever  a  white 
nigger  heerd.  Me  and  Stag-Horn  jumped  up  like 
mad — me  with  a  ball  plum  through  my  left  arm,  and 
him  with  two  arrers  sticking  into  his  fodder  pan;  and 
we  went  in  and  throwed  two  on  'em  cold  powerful 
sudden.  The  rest  on  'em  kim  down  on  us,  with 
Satan's  yells,  and  this  hyer  old  beaver  broke  fur 


296  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

darkness  and  a  snow-bank.  I  tumbled  into  a  hole, 
and  lay  thar,  and  the  devils  passed  right  over  me, 
hunting  my  ha'r — which  they  didn't  git — no-sir-ee ! 

"  You  kin  gamble  on  to  it,  boys,  old  One-Eyed  Sam 
had  a  cool  time  on't  that  thar  night ;  but  I  didn't  dar 
to  stir  a  peg.  Afore  daylight,  I  heerd  the  wolves 
growling  and  fighting  right  nigh,  and  I  knowed 
some'at  was  up.  Arter  it  got  to  be  day,  I  peeped  out 
of  my  hole,  and  not  seeing  nary  red  nigger  no  whar, 
I  ventur'd  out.  Augh!  the  first  sight  I  seed  froze 
my  blood  wosser  nor  the  cold ;  fur  thar,  right  down 
whar  the  camp  was,  lay  the  bones  of  Stag-Horn,  white 
and  shining,  picked  clean  by  the  wolves.  Says  I, 
*  Sam,  you  old  fool,  what's  the  use  of  your  gwine  to 
the  mountains  this  hyer  way,  afoot  and  alone  ?  Ef 
you've  got  ary  sense,  put  back ;'  and  you  kin  gamble 
on  to  it,  that  this  hyer  nigger  made  some  back'ard 
tracks,  and  fotched  his  skin  and  bones  to  Indepen 
dence,  to  take  a  fresh  start.  That's  all.  Augh !" 

"You  certainly  have  had  cause  to  remember  the 
place,"  said  I. 

" Kinder — chaw  me!"  grunted  Sam. 

Better's  story  was  not  without  its  effect  upon  all 
who  heard  it ;  and  the  result  was,  that  we  picketed 
our  animals  close  around  the  camp,  and  set  a  double 
guard.  The  night,  however,  passed  off  without  any 
disturbance ;  and  by  daylight  we  were  again  in  our 
saddles,  laying  our  course  due  north.  At  noon  we 
halted  under  some  trees,  on  the  bank  of  a  wide,  shal 
low  stream,  which  we  conjectured  to  be  the  Eepublican 


TAKEN    PRISONER.  297 

Fork  of  the  Kansas.  Here  we  were  overtaken  by  one 
of  the  most  terrible  thunder-storms  it  has  ever  been 
my  fortune  to  witness.  The  wind  blew  a  perfect  hur 
ricane  ;  the  rain  fell  in  torrents ;  the  lightning  seemed 
to  set  the  earth  ablaze ;  and  the  thunder  crashed  and 
roared  around  us,  with  a  sound  that  might  be  likened 
to  the  falling  of  an  Alpine  avalanche.  We  considered 
it  too  dangerous  to  remain  under  the  trees ;  and  so  we 
withdrew  from  the  little  protection  they  might  have 
given  us,  and  faced  the  storm,  in  all  its  fury,  on  the 
open  plain.  We  had  no  reason  to  regret  our  precau 
tion  ;  for  two  of  the  trees,  under  which  we  had  been 
sitting,  were  shivered  with  lightning  before  our  very 
eyes,  and  the  horse  of  Botter  was  prostrated  with  the 
concussion,  and  lay  as  if  dead. 

"  Afoot  agin,  or  I'm  a  wood  chuck !"  cried  Sam, 
with  an  oath.  "But  hyer's  a  nigger  as  aint  alone  I" 
he  added,  in  the  next  breath,  as,  at  the  moment,  all 
the  rest  of  the  animals  broke  away  in  a  regular  stam 
pede. 

"  You  is  verree  moshe  better  off  as  nobody,"  said 
one  of  the  French  voyageurs,  pointing  to  the  old  trap 
per's  animal ;  which  not  only  showed  signs  of  life,  but, 
getting  upon  its  feet,  and  giving  itself  a  shake,  looked 
around  with  an  air  of  surprise.  "  Oui,  Monsieur — by 
gar  1  ze  lightzing  sav  you  hos,  and  trive  ze  tarn  rest 
to  ze  whole  universe — sacre !" 

"You're  right,  old  frog-eater!"  laughed  Sam. 
"That  thar  hoss  is  one  on  'em — ef  he  aint,  chaw  me  I 
He  stands  lightning  like  a  nigger  does  hot  weather." 


298  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  It's  a  critter  I'd  like  to  own  jest  now,  being  as 
mine  is  scattered,"  said  a  tall  Missourian. 

"  But  you  haint  got  tin  enough  to  buy  him,"  re 
joined  Botter — "case  nobody  has.  A  hoss  as  stands 
lightning  like  him,  suits  old  One-Eyed;  and  he  aint 
agwine  to  gin  him  up  to  any  nigger  'cept  death. 
Augh!" 

The  storm  lasted  for  two  hours ;  and  until  its  fury 
was  spent,  we  made  no  attempt  to  regain  our  animals, 
which  were  now  scattered  far  and  wide  over  the  broad 
prairie,  scarcely  any  two  of  them  remaining  together. 
This  caused  a  similar  division  of  our  party — each 
man  seeking  his  own — but  we  agreed  to  make  the 
spot  whence  we  started  the  general  rendezvous. 

Thus  it  was  I  gradually  became  separated  from 
each  one  of  my  companions ;  and  at  length  I  found 
myself  about  two  miles  from  the  starting  point,  upon 
a  gentle  swell  of  the  prairie,  where  I  could  overlook 
a  wide  stretch  of  country  in  every  direction.  I  could 
occasionally  perceive,  here  and  there,  one  of  the  com 
pany,  quite  distant — and  occasionally,  also,  one  of  the 
strayed  animals.  To  the  north,  near  a  small  cluster 
of  willows,  I  fancied  I  espied  my  own  horse,  quietly 
feeding,  and  I  set  off  on  a  run  to  catch  him.  As  I 
drew  near,  I  saw,  with  delight,  I  had  made  no  mis 
take — that  it  was  indeed  my  gallant  steed — and  for 
fear  of  alarming  him,  I  slackened  my  pace,  and  ap 
proached  him  slowly. 

Suddenly,  from  a  thick  grove,  on  the  bank  of  a 
creek,  some  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  there  burst  forth 


TAKEN    PRISONER  299 

a  small  band  of  mounted  Indians,  and  bore  straight 
down  for  me  with  lightning  speed.  The  moment  I 
perceived  them,  I  made  a  desperate  effort  to  get  to 
my  horse  before  them;  and  I  might,  perhaps,  have 
succeeded,  had  he  not  taken  fright  and  sprung  away 
from  me.  The  next  minute  I  was  surrounded  by  some 
fifteen  or  twenty  almost  naked,  howling  Indians,  who 
pranced  around  me  with  fiendish  delight,  seemingly 
anxious  to  take  me  alive.  I  had  my  loaded  rifle  in 
my  hand,  and  a  brace  of  loaded  pistols  in  my  belt,  and 
my  first  resolve  was  to  sell  my  life  dearly — but  a 
moment's  reflection  caused  me  to  abandon  so  despe 
rate  a  design.  I  might  kill  one  of  the  savages — per 
haps  three — but  I  knew  I  should  be  killed  or  captured 
in  return;  and  why  exasperate  my  foes,  when,  by  a 
different  course,  I  might  save  my  life?  Although 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  they  had  not  as  yet 
made  a  single  shot  at  me — and  this  led  me  to  hope 
their  intentions  toward  me  were  friendly. 

Acting  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  I  dropped 
the  breech  of  my  rifle,  and  held  up  an  open  palm. 
Instantly  each  one  extended  an  open  palm ;  and  one 
fine,  athletic  warrior,  riding  up  to  me,  struck  his  breast 
with  dignity,  and  exclaimed : 

"  Arrapaho  I" 

"  So,"  thought  I,  "  I  have  stumbled  upon  a  portion 
of  the  very  tribe  I  was  seeking ;  but  I  meet  them 
under  circumstances  which  I  would  were  otherwise." 
The  next  thought  was — "Is  Adele  their  prisoner  ?  and 
shall  I  soon  behold  her  sweet,  sad  face  again  ?" 


300  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

" Where  from?"  demanded  the  warrior,  who  had 
just  proclaimed  himself  Arrapaho,  and  who  was  in 
truth  a  chief  of  the  nation. 

His  enunciation  of  the  words  was  guttural ;  but  I 
was  surprised  and  delighted  that  he  could  understand 
English  at  all,  and  I  quickly  replied : 

"I  and  my  companions,  who  are  not  far  distant,  are 
from  Bent's  Fort,  and  we  are  on  our  way  to  seek  your 
nation,  to  make  them  some  presents." 

"  Ugh !"  grunted  the  savage.  Present  much  good. 
Injun  like  present  Where  present  ?" 

"  With  my  friends,"  I  answered. 

"  Where  friends  ?" 

"  We  encamped  away  yonder ;  but  my  horse  having 
run  away,  I  followed  him  here  alone." 

This  was  the  truth,  but  not  the  whole  truth — for 
I  did  not  wish  the  Indians  to  know  the  company  was 
scattered,  lest  they  might  capture  the  whole  in  detail, 
and  get  possession  of  our  goods. 

A  consultation  now  took  place  among  my  captors ; 
and  as  soon  as  it  ended,  two  of  the  party  dismounted, 
deprived  me  of  my  weapons,  and  bound  my  hands 
behind  my  back.  They  then  placed  me  on  a  fine 
horse,  in  front  of  a  grim  savage,  who  threw  an  arm 
around  my  waist,  and  dashed  away  over  the  plain, 
accompanied  by  only  one  other  of  the  band.  The 
direction  taken  by  those  having  charge  of  me,  was 
directly  opposite  to  that  which  led  to  Camp  Kendez- 
vous;  and  I  conjectured  I  was  being  conveyed  to  the 
Grand  Village,  perhaps  to  undergo  a  trial  and  be  put 


THE     LOST    FOUND.  301 

to  the  tortures.  The  possibility  of  such  a  termination 
to  all  my  fondest  hopes,  made  me  wretched;  and  I 
almost  regretted  that  I  had  not  kept  to  my  first  resolve 
of  defence,  and  taken  the  chances  of  liberty  or  death. 
I  asked  my  guard  whither  he  was  bearing  me — but 
he  returned  no  answer.  I  looked  back,  and  saw  the 
party  left  behind  darting  away  in  a  body  over  the 
prairie,  in  the  direction  of  my  scattered  friends,  and 
doubted'  not  that  some  of  them,  perhaps  all,  would 
meet  with  death  or  captivity.  I  would  have  given 
half  of  my  remaining  days,  to  have  had  them  in  a 
mounted  body  and  been  at  their  head;  but  fate  had 
made  me  a  helpless  prisoner,  and  it  was  vain  to  wish 
for  other  fortune. 

On,  on  we  dashed  for  hours,  not  a  word  being 
spoken.  Many  a  long  league  was  passed  over,  night 
gradually  closed  around  us,  and  yet  no  sign  of  a  halt. 

At  last  we  gained  the  bank  of  a  stream  having 
some  high  bluffs,  and,  turning  short  around  these, 
came  upon  a  pleasant  valley,  over  which  was  scattered 
a  large  Indian,  village,  the  different  fires  flashing  their 
ruddy  lights  upon  the  neighboring  huts,  and  upon  the 
grim,  dusky,  half-naked  forms  of  their  owners,  who, 
to  my  excited  senses,  appeared  rather  like  spectres 
from  the  infernal  regions,  than  human  beings  of  flesh 
and  blood.  With  loud,  triumphant  whoops  and  yells, 
my  guard  bore  me  into  the  very  center  of  the  village, 
and  deposited  me  on  the  ground,  at  the  door  of  a 
large  lodge,  which  I  afterward  ascertained  belonged 
to  one  of  the  principal  chiefs  of  the  nation.  Here  the 


802  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

whole  village  speedily  collected  around  me — men, 
women,  children,  dogs  and  all — and  such  screeching, 
yelling,  and  barking,  as  then  and  there  greeted  me,  I 
pray  God  it  may  never  be  my  fortune  to  hear  again. 
Hundreds  crowded  around  me,  each  anxious  to  have 
a  near  inspection  of  my  person ;  but  no  one  offered 
me  violence,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  tumult  subsided. 
A  consultation  among  the  principal  chiefs  and  war 
riors  now  took  place — at  the  end  of  which  I  was 
conducted  into  a  lodge  near  by,  thrown  upon  the 
ground,  and  my  legs  tightly  bound.  This  done,  my 
captors  withdrew,  and  I  was  left  alone  to  my  own 
unpleasant  ruminations  and  conjectures.  What  of 
the  future? 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE     LOST     FOUND. 

I  SHALL  make  no  attempt  to  describe  my  feelings,  as 
I  lay  upon  the  ground,  bound  hand  and  foot,  beneath 
an  Indian  lodge,  the  captive  of  a  savage  foe.  A  few 
hours  since,  and  I  was  free,  and  full  of  hopes  and 
bright  anticipations — a  few  hours  hence,  and  what 
would  be  my  fate  ? 

While  I  thus  lay  pondering,  in  a  painful  position, 
hungry,  and  almost  choking  with  thirst,  a  small, 
slender  figure  glided  into  the  lodge,  and  a  sweet, 


THE     LOST    FOUND.  303 

silvery  voice,  that  made  my  blood  leap  with  a  wild 
tlirill;  said,  in  a  tone  of  holy  sympathy: 

"I  pity  you,  sir,  whoever  you  are!  and  though  a 
prisoner  myself,  I  have  obtained  permission  to  visit 
you.  I  cannot  release  you ;  but  if  jou  are  thirsty,  I 
think  I  may  be  allowed  to  bring  you  a  cup  of  water 
— and  food,  perhaps,  if  you  are  hungry." 

There  were  firelights  outside  the  lodge ;  and  from 
one  came  a  ruddy  gleam  through  the  open  door,  and, 
falling  upon  the  fair  visitant,  revealed  the  outlines  of 
form  and  feature.  I  could  not  be  mistaken;  the 
senses  of  hearing  and  seeing  could  not  both  deceive 
me;  to  say  nothing  of  that  sympathetic,  magnetic 
thrill,  which  seemed  to  pass  the  grosser  material  of 
body,  to  bury  itself,  as  it  were,  in  my  very  soul ! 
No !  I  could  not  be  mistaken !  It  was  the  being  I 
had  seen  once  to  remember  ever ;  it  was  the  being  I 
had  mourned  as  lost;  it  was  the  being  for  whose 
safety  and  happiness  I  had  often  prayed ;  it  was  the 
being  I  had  sought  through  difficulty  and  danger ;  it 
was  the  being  whom  my  wildly  beating  heart  now 
assured  me  I  loved  with  a  love  that  would  no  longer 
be  disguised  under  the  colder  term  of  friendship  :  in 
a  word,  she  who  now  stood  before  me,  in  the  form  of 
a  ministering  spirit,  speaking  her  sympathy  in  the 
voice  of  an  angel,  was  Adele  Loyola. 

My  first  impulse  was  to  call  her  by  name,  and 
reveal  my  own ;  but  ere  I  spoke,  the  whim  seized  me 
to  try  her  first ;  and  disguising  my  voice,  I  replied : 

"  I  am  very  thirsty." 


304  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"You  shall  have  water,  sir,"  she  said,  and  dis 
appeared. 

In  a  short  time  she  reappeared,  bringing  a  gourd 
full  of  the  pure  element,  which  she  held  to  my  parched 
and  feverish  lips.  I  drank  eagerly,  and  never  in  my 
Kfe  had  I  tasted  a  draught  so  refreshing.  Had  my 
cup-bearer  been  old  and  ugly,  I  could  have  loved  her 
for  her  kindness ;  could  I  do  less  than  love  the  fair, 
sweet,  beautiful  being  before  me  ? 

11 1  thank  you  from  my  heart!"  I  said;  and  my 
voice,  made  tremulous  by  emotion,  must  have  con 
vinced  her  of  my  sincerity. 

"I  would  I  could  give  you  more  cause  to  be  thankful, 
by  releasing  and  setting  you  free !  but  this  I  cannot 
do,"  she  rejoined.  a  But  here  is  some  food,  if  you  are 
hungry,"  she  added,  producing  a  kind  of  wooden 
platter,  containing  boiled  maize  and  a  piece  of  cooked 
meat.  "  The  chiefs  have  permitted  me  to  bring  you 
this  sustenance.  Will  you  eat  ?" 

"  I  am  somewhat  hungry,"  I  answered ;  "  but  at 
present  my  curiosity  gets  the  better  of  my  appetite. 
Will  you  permit  me  to  ask  you  a  few  questions  ?" 
'.  "I  will,  sir;  but  I  may  soon  be  called  away;  so  I 
pray  you  speak  at  once,  and  briefly,  that  I  may  have 
time  to  place  this  food  to  your  lips,  since  you  cannot 
feed  yourself." 

"  You  say  you  are  a  prisoner  here  as  well  as  my 
self?" 

"I  am,  sir!" 


THE     LOST    FOUND.  305 

"  Where  were  you  captured  ?  and  how  long 
since  ?" 

"  I  was  captured  a  few  weeks  ago,  at  a  place  called 
Turkey  Creek.  My  father  and  myself  belonged  to  a 
company  trading  between  Missouri  and  Santa  Fe ; 
and  while  encamped  one  night  at  the  place  mentioned, 
the  Indians  attacked  us,  and  killed  my  father  and 
several  others;  and  myself,  and  the  wife  of  an  emi 
grant  who  was  traveling  with  us,  were  taken  priso 
ners." 

"  And  is  this  other  lady  you  speak  of  still  a  prisoner 
with  you  ?" 

"No,  sir — she  was  killed  the  same  night." 

" Accidentally,  or  intentionally?" 

"  She  had  the  misfortune  to  offend  a  chief,  who 
buried  his  tomahawk  in  her  brain." 

"  Did  you  witness  her  death  ?" 

"  I  knew  when  it  took  place ;  but  it  was  dark,  and 
I  did  not  see  the  awful  deed  done." 

"How  did  it  affect  you?" 

"  I  almost  wished  it  had  been  myself." 

"But  how  is  it  that  you  have  so  much  liberty 
among  such  a  savage  people  ?" 

"  It  is,  perhaps,  because  a  powerful  chief  has  signi 
fied  his  intention  of  making  me  his  wife ;  and  by 
treating  me  with  marked  favor,  even  above  others  of 
my  sex,  he  hopes  to  win  my  regard — so  at  least  he 
tells  me  in  broken  English." 

"Indeed!"  exclaimed  I;  and  my  changed  voice 
nearly  betrayed  me.  "  And  is  it  possible  you  can 
18 


306  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

consent  to  become  the  wife  of  one  of  the  murderers  of 
your  father  and  friends  ?" 

"  Alas !  sir,  what  can  I  do  ?  I  am  a  poor,  helpless 
girl  1"  and  she  burst  into  tears. 

"  But  you  certainly  have  a  choice  between  the  mon 
ster  and  death?" 

"Would  you  have  me  die  by  my  own  hand?" 

"  No !  no !  for  that,  we  are  told,  would  entail  eternal 
misery  hereafter.  I  see !  unless  the  savages  put  you 
to  death,  or  you  escape,  you  have  no  choice." 

"  Oh !  would  to  God  I  could  escape  1"  she  said. 

"  Do  not  despair !  your  friends  may  even  now  be 
seeking  you." 

"  Alas !  sir,  I  have  no  friends." 

"  No  friends?  are  you  sure?  It  is  hardly  possible 
that  one  like  you  can  be  without  friends." 

"  But  I  have  none,  sir,  that  would  seek  me  here," 
she  replied,  in  a  tone  of  sadness.  "I  never  knew  any 
relation  but  my  father,  and  he  is  dead." 

a  But  surely  there  must  be  some  one  who  will  not 
be  indifferent  to  your  fate  I 

"  It  is  possible  I  may  be  pitied  by  some  who  knew 
me — but  I  have  no  hope  that  any  will  seek  me  here ; 
and  even  should  any  venture  here,  for  the  purpose  of 
releasing  me,  you  see  how  vain  would  be  the  attempt, 
while  I  am  surrounded  by  so  many  warriors  who  are 
enemies  of  my  race !" 

"  But  could  not  your  freedom  be  purchased  ?" 

"  And  who  will  offer  to  purchase  the  freedom  of  a 
poor,  friendless  girl  ?" 


THE     LOST    FOUND.  307 

'Did  you  never  see  any  one  that  would  take 
interest  enough  in  you  to  do  so,  if  your  misfortunes 
were  known  to  him  ?" 

She  hesitated,  and  at  length  replied : 

"  There  was  one,  sir,  whom  I  met  under  painful 
circumstances,  who  did  profess  warm  friendship;  but 
he  was  a  stranger,  seen  only  for  a  brief  hour,  and  has 
doubtless  forgotten  me.  I  have  sometimes  hoped  he 
would  hear  of  my  fate;  though  I  know  not  why  I 
should  wish  him  to  learn  of  my  misery,  since  it  could 
not  benefit  me  and  might  give  him  pain." 

"Permit  me  to  inquire  the  name  of  this  stranger?" 

"  It  was  Eoland  Kivers,  sir." 

"  Indeed !"  said  I ;  "  I  know  him." 

"  Do  you,  sir?  do  you?"  she  cried,  eagerly. 

"  I  do ;  and  it  is  not  a  week  since  I  saw  him." 

"Was  he  well,  sir?" 

"At  that  time  he  was." 

"  And  where  do  you  think  he  is  now  ?" 

"  Somewhere  among  the  Indians,  I  have  reason  to 
believe." 

"  Oh!  sir,  not  a  prisoner,  I  hope !" 

UI  cannot  say  he  is  not.  When  I  saw  him  a  few 
days  ago,  he  was  on  his  way,  with  a  small  party  of 
armed  men,  to  seek  a  large  and  powerful  tribe,  for 
the  purpose  of  procuring  the  release  of  a  female 
captive,  a  young  and  beautiful  girl.  Ah!  good  sooth! 
now  I  think — perhaps  it  was  you  of  whom  he  was  in 
search." 

For  a   short   time  Adele  made   no  reply,  during 


308  THB    BORDER    ROVER. 

which  she  seemed  much  agitated.  At  length  she 
murmured,  in  a  low  tone,  evidently  not  intended  for 
my  ear : 

u  God  and  all  holy  saints  bless  and  preserve  him, 
wherever  he  is!"  And  then  she  said  tome:  "Will 
you  let  me  give  you  this  food  now  ?" 

I  could  maintain  my  assumed  character  no  longer ; 
but  allowing  my  voice  to  take  its  natural  tone,  I  said : 

"  Adele — do  you  not  know  me?" 

Instantly  she  sprung  aside,  so  as  to  admit  the  light, 
and,  bending  down,  peered  eagerly  into  my  face. 

"Holy  Virgin!"  she  exclaimed;  "it  is  Eoland 
Bivers  himself!" 

"It  is  no  other,  Adele,"  I  replied.  "I  was  on  my 
way,  with  several  others,  to  effect  your  release,  when, 
having  become  separated  from  my  companions,  I  was 
surrounded  and  taken  prisoner." 

"Oh,  Heaven!  this  is  terrible!  and  I  have  been  the 
unlucky  cause  of  your  misfortune !" 

"  Let  that  give  you  no  pain,  my  dear  Adele — for  I 
feel  it  a  kind  of  pleasure  to  suffer  in  your  behalf. 
You  must  forgive  me  for  not  making  myself  known 
the  moment  I  recognized  you ;  but  I  could  not  resist 
the  desire  to  know  if  I  still  lived  in  your  memory." 

"  Oh !  sir,  how  could  I  forget  you,  if  I  would !"  she 
rejoined,  with  perfect  naivete ;  "you  who  spoke  such 
words  of  kindness  to  one  who  has  had  but  little  kind 
ness  to  remember !  And  now  to  see  you  here,  bound, 
a  prisoner,  in  the  hands  of  a  savage  foe,  makes  me 


THE    LOST    FOUND.  309 

sick  at  heart  indeed !  I  was  miserable  before — I  am 
more  miserable  now." 

"But  perhaps  I  shall  soon  be  free." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Kivers,  do  you  think  so?" 

"  I  hope  so,  Adele — for  I  have  done  nothing  to 
excite  the  animosity  of  the  Indians." 

"  Why  then  are  you  bound  and  placed  here  ?" 

"  I  cannot  say — do  you  not  know  ?" 

"I  do  not." 

"  Have  you  no  idea  what  they  intend  to  do  with  me?' 

"  I  have  not." 

"  But  if  they  had  any  design  against  my  life,  would 
they  have  permitted  you  to  visit  me  ?" 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  cannot  say — for  you  are  the  first 
prisoner  I  have  seen  in  their  hands  since  they  killed 
my  companion,  Mrs.  Mason." 

"But  what  do  they  say  of  me  among  themselves  ? 
we  may  judge  by  that." 

"  You  forget,  Mr.  Kivers,  I  do  not  understand  their 
language." 

"Pray  call  me  Eoland,  Adele — any  other  name 
from  you  sounds  too  cold  and  formal.  You  say  you 
do  not  understand  their  language — pray  how  do  you 
converse  with  them  ?" 

"Partly  by  signs ;  but  there  are  three  or  four  in  the 
village  who  understand  a  little  English,  and  can 
speak  a  few  words.  Waralongha,  the  chief  I  have 
mentioned,  speaks  the  English  tongue  rather  plainly 
— but  he  is  now  away." 


310  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Ha !"  said  I ;  "  the  chief  of  the  party  that  captured 
me  could  converse  in  my  native  tongue." 

"Then  you  were  taken  by  Waralongha  himself," 
said  Adele.  "  How  is  it  that  he  sent  you  here  before 
him  ?  for  he  has  not  yet  returned." 

"I  think  he  and  his  party  went  in  pursuit  of  my 
companions/'  I  replied ;  and  I  proceeded  to  give  her  a 
brief  account  of  the  whole  affair. 

"  Oh,  Roland,  I  hope  your  companions  will  not  be 
made  prisoners  also  I"  cried  Adele. 

"  I  fear  some  of  them  will,"  said  I. 

"  I  think  you  will  be  kept  here  till  Waralongha 
returns,"  she  rejoined. 

"And  what  then?" 

"Alas!  I  do  not  know.  Should  your  companions 
resist,  and  he  lose  any  of  his  men,  I  fear  your  life  may 
be  taken  in  revenge ;  and  should  he  be  unsuccessful 
in  getting  your  goods  into  his  possession,  he  may  vent 
his  rage  on  you  for  that." 

"  In  any  event,  then,  my  life  is  in  danger !" 

"Alas  II  fear  so." 

"  But  can  I  not  escape  ?"  I  said,  in  a  low  whisper ; 
for  if  there  were  any  who  could  understand  our  con 
versation,  I  thought  it  possible  they  might  be  within 
hearing,  perhaps  listening. 

"How,  Roland?" 

"With  your  assistance,  Adele.  But  tell  me  first 
how  you  obtained  permission  to  visit  me  ?  and  why 
I  am  left  unguarded  ?" 

"You  are  not  unguarded,  Roland — would  to  Heaven 


THE    LOST    FOUND.  311 

you  were!  for  then  I  might  assist  you,"  she  replied. 
"  There  are  no  less  than  four  warriors  watching  this 
lodge." 

"Indeed!  where  are  they?" 

"They  are  lounging  on  the  earth  outside,  at  no 
great  distance ;  but  are  so  disposed,  that,  by  the  lights 
of  the  different  fires,  they  can  see  completely  round 
your  prison." 

"  But  why  are  you  permitted  to  visit  me,  and  bring 
me  food  and  drink,  since  they  have  seen  proper  to 
treat  me  so  roughly,  and  offer  me  none  ?" 

UI  do  not  know,  unless  because  you  are  a  prisoner 
of  Waralongha,  and  they  think  it  might  offend 
him  to  refuse  my  request." 

"You  requested  to  see  me  then?" 

"  Yes !  I  was  one  of  the  crowd  that  surrounded  you, 
after  you  were  brought  in ;  but  I  only  got  near 
enough  to  see  you  were  a  white  man ;  and  I  spoke  to 
one  who  can  understand  the  most  simple  English 
words,  and  requested  him  to  ask  leave  of  the  chiefs 
for  me  to  visit  you.  He  did  so,  and  I  came  to  you  as 
soon  as  my  request  was  granted.  Arguing  from  this 
permission,  that  I  should  be  allowed  to  bring  you 
food  and  water,  I  took  the  liberty  to  do  so,  and  so  far 
I  have  been  unmolested  and  unrestrained ;  but  how 
much  longer  this  may  continue  I  cannot  say;  and 
this  reminds  me  you  have  not  yet  eaten :  pray  let  me 
give  you  some  of  this  food  now,  before  I  am  called 
away." 


312  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"I  would  rather  talk  than  eat,  Adele,  for  the  time 
is  precious." 

"You  can  do  both,"  she  said,  putting  some  of  the 
frugal  fare  to  my  lips.  "Eat,  Koland,  I  pray  you!  I 
shall  feel  better  to  know  you  have  taken  sustenance." 

I  hastily  ate  a  few  mouthfuls,  took  another  drink 
from  the  gourd,  and  continued : 

"  You  have  been  treated  well  by  the  Indians  ?" 

"  Better,  at  least,  than  others  of  my  sex." 

"But  you  are  suffering  mental  torture?" 

"Oh !  yes,  Eoland — I  would  rather  die  than  remain 
here,  the  wife  of  a  savage.  Great  God  I  what  a  fate !" 

"What  a  fate  indeed!"  said  I.  "I  heard  of  your 
capture  while  at  Council  Grove;  and  I  afterward 
resolved  to  set  you  free,  or  die  in  the  attempt ;  and  I 
now  fear  the  attempt  will  cost  me  my  life.  What  is 
to  be  done  ?  I  am  here,  a  more  helpless  prisoner  than 
yourself  even ;  and  I  fear  my  companions  are,  or  will 
be,  overpowered — in  which  case  we  shall  all  be  at  the 
mercy  of  the  savages." 

"Alas!  what  is  to  be  done  indeed?"  cried  Adele, 
wringing  her  hands. 

At  this  moment  a  grim-looking  savage  appeared  at 
the  door  of  the  lodge,  and  made  signs  to  Adele  that 
she  must  follow  him. 

"There,"  she  said ;  "it  is  as  I  feared ;  we  must  part 
now,  perhaps  never  to  meet  again." 

"Farewell,  and  God  bless  you!"  said  I.  "Keep  up 
your  spirits,  and  hope!  all  may  not  be  so  bad  as  it 


FLIGHT     AND     PUKSUIT.  313 

She  put  her  hands  to  her  eyes,  as  if  to  restrain  her 
tears,  and  in  a  choked  and  trembling  voice  mur 
mured  : 

"Adieu!  I  will  come  to  you  whenever  I  can.  God 
bless  you !  God  bless  you !  If  it  had  not  been  for 
me,  you  would  not  now  be  here.  The  heart  of  the 
friendless  orphan  shall  ever  pray  for  your  deliverance, 
prosperity,'  and  happiness !" 

With  this  she  hurried  out,  the  savage  glided  away, 
and  I  was  again  alone. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

FLIGHT    AND    PURSUIT. 

SOON  after  Adele  left  me,  two  Indians  came  and  sat 
down  in  the  door  of  the  lodge,  and  for  an  hour  kept 
up  a  low,  but  to  me  unintelligible,  conversation.  Then 
one  of  them  went  away ;  and  the  other,  whistling  a 
large  dog  to  him,  stretched  himself  out,  as  if  to  sleep, 
leaving  his  canine  companion  on  the  watch.  Finding 
my  position  extremely  painful,  I  now  ventured  to  ad 
dress  the  savage,  to  inquire  if  a  stronger  guard  could 
not  be  put  over  me,  and  my  aching  limbs  be  freed 
from  their  bonds. 

He  raised  his  head,  looked  at  me,  and  saying,  "  Me 
no  Engles,"  laid  down  again. 

He  added  something  to  the  dog,  which  immediately 


314  THE    BOEDER    ROVEE. 

took  up  a  position  where  his  eyes  could  rest  upon 
mine ;  and  there  he  remained  through  that  long  night, 
growling  every  time  I  moved.  Well  may  I  call  it  a 
long  night — for  to  me  it  seemed  an  age — and  all  the 
good  and  evil  of  my  life  appeared  to  come  up  before 
the  mind  for  review. 

Morning  came  at  last ;  and  with  the  rising  of  the 
sun  my  guard  left  me,  calling  off  his  dog.  Soon  after 
this  my  angel,  for  she  looked  to  me  like  an  angel,  re 
appeared. 

"  Oh !  what  tortures  you  must  have  suffered  through 
the  night !"  she  said,  compassionately,  her  soft  eyes 
filling  with -tears,  as  she  gazed  upon  my  haggard  fea 
tures  and  corded  limbs. 

"Oh!  Adele,"  I  replied,  "it  is  Heaven  to  look 
upon  your  sweet  face  once  more !  But  pray  tell  me 
what  you  have  learned  concerning  me?  for  this  awful 
suspense  is  one  of  the  greatest  tortures  I  have  to 
bear." 

"  Ah  !  sir,  I  have  learned  nothing,  except  that  your 
fate  will  be  decided  when  "YVaralongha  returns.  Ha  ! 
he  has  come  now,  I  think !"  she  added,  as  at  the  mo 
ment  a  series  of  loud  whoops,  from  a  distance,  broke 
upon  the  ear.  "  I  will  go  and  see,  and  return  and  tell 
you ;"  and  she  hurried  out  and  disappeared. 

I  lay  there  for  some  minutes,  listening  to  the  un 
pleasant  noises  without,  which  announced  the  arrival 
of  a  party  of  warriors,  and  felt  much  as  I  suppose  a 
prisoner  must  feel  awaiting  a  decision  which  will  set 
him  free  or  consign  him  to  death.  At  length  Adele 


FLIGHT     AND     PURSUIT.  315 

suddenly  burst  into  the  lodge,  pale  and  breathless, 
and  exclaimed : 

"  I  fear  it  is  all  over  with  you,  my  dear  friend ! 
Hark  I  do  you  not  hear  those  wild  cries  of  Indian 
women  lamenting  the  loss  of  some  of  their  friends  ?  I 
have  only  seen  enough  to  know  that  Waralongha  has 
returned  with  two  white  prisoners,  and  three  Indian 
corpses,  and  the  rage  of  the  nation  will  demand  you 
for  a  victim.  Oh!  my  God!  that  I  could  die  for 
you  I" 

"  You  can  do  better  I"  cried  I,  from  that  strong  im 
pulse  of  the  mind  which  often  acts  with  the  force  and 
certainty  of  instinct.  " Quick!  cut  my  cords,  and  let 
me  take  my  chance !" 

"  But  surely  you  cannot  escape !" 

"  I  may  escape  torture,  if  not  death.  Oh !  Adele, 
by  the  love  of  Heaven,  I  conjure  you  to' cut  these 
bonds,  ere  my  enemies  come  upon  me  1" 

"  I  will,"  she  cried,  "  if  I  die  for  it !  One  moment ! 
I  have  no  knife — but  I  just  now  saw  one  at  the  door 
of  an  adjoining  lodge ;"  and  she  darted  out. 

She  was  gone  but  a  moment  indeed ;  and  as  she 
hurried  back  to  me,  and  severed  the  cords  that  bound 
my  limbs,  she  fairly  gasped  out,  under  the  wildest 
excitement : 

"Oh!  Eoland,  perhaps  you  may  escape!  Oh,  my 
God !  give  me  strength  to  speak !  The  whole  village 
has  gone  out  to  meet  "Waralongha.  Only  a  few  old 
men  and  women  are  near  you.  Some  chief  or  warrior 
has  left  his  horse,  with  a  Mexican  bridle  and  saddle 


316  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

upon  him,  standing  only  a  few  rods  off.  Great  God! 
if  you  could  reach  him  and  escape !  Oh  I  I  faint  to 
think!  There!  there!  you  are  free.  Up!  quick, 
and  away !  and  Holy  Mary  and  all  the  saints  protect 
you!" 

"  And  you,  Adele  ?"  returned  I,  as  I  hurriedly 
chafed  my  limbs,  which  fortunately  were  not  so  be 
numbed  as  to  be  useless. 

"  Think  not  of  me  ;  but  fly  I  fly  I  and  save  yourself, 
if  in  God's  holy  Providence  you  may  be  so  per 
mitted  !" 

"But  come  you  with  me!  you  must  not,  shall  not, 
remain  behind!" 

"No!  no!  no!  Eoland — fly  and  leave  me!  for  the 
love  of  holy  angels,  fly  !  I  should  only  be  a  burden 
to  you ;  I  should  only  retard  your  flight ;  and  you 
would  be  retaken  ;  and  then  death  by  tortures  would 
be  your  fate.  It  is  your  only  chance;  the  whole 
Tillage  of  chiefs  and  warriors  will  soon  be  here ;  do 
you  not  hear  them  coming  ?  And  yet  you  stand ! 
"Oh,  God!  Koland,  if  you  would  not  see  me  sink 
dead  at  your  very  feet,  fly,  and  save  your  precious 
life!" 

I  looked  at  the  slight,  slender,  beautiful  girl  before 
me — dressed  much  as  she  was  when  I  first  presented 
her  to  the  reader — her  dark  hair,  now  somewhat  dis 
arranged,  floating  around  her  neck  and  shoulders — 
her  black  eyes,  wild  and  sparkling,  fixed  beseechingly 
upon  mine — her  upturned  features  picturing  forth  the 
full  agony  of  a  soul  upon  the  rack  of  desperate  fear 


FLIGHT     AND     PUKSUIT.  317 

and  desperate  hope — the  contending  emotions  almost 
tearing  her  spirit  asunder :  I  looked  at  her,  I  say,  as 
she  thus  stood  before  me,  and  my  resolution  was  in 
stantly  taken.  We  would  live  or  die  together — or  at 
least  I  would  not  escape  alone.  The  chances  were  all 
against  us — but  Heaven  might  be  on  our  side.  She 
was  small,  slight,  and  light — I  was  large  and  strong 
— and  suddenly  throwing  an  arm  around  her  slender 
waist,  I  lifted  her  from  the  ground,  and  darted  out 
into  the  open  air. 

"  This  is  my  answer,  dear  Adele,"  I  said ;  "  you 
must  go  with  me ;  I  will  not  leave  you ;  and  if  you 
resist,  I  shall  remain  a  prisoner.  Quick  I  where  is  the 
horse  ?" 

She  pointed  to  where  he  stood,  too  much  excited  to 
speak ;  and  I  darted  to  his  side,  bearing  my  lovely 
burden  with  the  same  ease  that  I  would  have  borne 
an  infant.  I  looked  around  and  saw  the  whole  village, 
with  only  a  few  exceptions — men,  women,  and  children 
— collected  in  a  body,  some  four  or  five  hundred 
yards  distant,  and  surrounding  the  returned  warriors, 
who  were  marching  into  the  village  in  Indian  state, 
whooping  and  howling  alternately — this  for  a  loss — 
that  for  a  triumph.  Most  of  the  lodges  were  between 
us  and  them,  which  concealed  our  movements  and 
favored  our  design  ;  while  fortunately,  their  attention 
was  occupied  with  matters  in  their  immediate  vicinity. 
A  decrepit  old  Indian,  in  a  lodge  near,  perceived  us, 
and  uttered  a  peculiar  yell,  intended  to  alarm  his 
distant  friends,  and  bring  them  down  upon  us ;  but 


318  THE    BORDER     ROVER. 

luckily  his  lungs  were  weak,  and  his  voice  did  not 
reach  far ;  and  ere  he  had  thrice  repeated  his  cry,  I 
was  upon  the  back  of  as  fleet  and  noble  a  steed  as 
ever  bore  man  from  captivity,  with  the  lovely  and  half 
fainting  Adele  clasped  in  rriy  arms. 

I  could  scarcely  restrain  a  shout  of  exultation,  as  I 
jerked  the  reins,  and  struck  the  beast  upon  the  flank 
with  the  flat  of  my  hand.  Unused  to  such  treatment, 
he  reared  and  plunged,  and  the  next  moment  was 
bounding  away  with  a  velocity  that  made  my  heart 
leap  with  hope  and  joy.  But  we  had  scarcely  gone 
twenty  yards,  when,  from  several  parts  of  the  village, 
arose  those  peculiar  yells,  which  told  us  we  were  dis 
covered  by  the  aged  and  infirm  who  had  not  gone  out 
to  meet  the  returned  warriors;  and  ere  we  had 
advanced  a  hundred  rods,  the  same  fearful  cry  of 
discovery  came  borne  to  our  ears  from  the  more 
distant  crowd  of  warriors. 

"  God  help  us  1"  I  murmured  ;  "  it  is  life  or  death 
now!" 

As  we  cleared  the  last  hut,  and  dashed  away  toward 
the  west,  over  the  seemingly  boundless  prairie,  I 
looked  back,  and  saw  a  great  commotion  among  the 
excited  crowd ;  and  the  next  moment  some  five  or  six 
mounted  warriors  burst  through  the  throng,  and  bore 
down  for  us  with  all  speed. 

"  There,  the  fiends  are  after  us !"  cried  I,  giving  my 
high  spirited  steed  another  blow  with  my  hand,  which 
caused  him  to  bound  away  with  the  speed  of  the 
rushing  wind. 


FLIGHT     AND     PURSUIT.  319 

"  Holy  Virgin,  help  us !  holy  saints,  help  us !  Great 
God,  help  us !"  cried  Adele,  clinging  shudderingly  to 
me.  "  Oh  !  Eoland — can  we — can  we  escape  them  ?" 

"  God  only  knows!"  said  I,  tightening  my  arm 
around  her  waist.  "This  gallant  beast  seems  fresh, 
and  their  animals  may  be  more  or  less  fatigued.  They 
have  not  gained  on  us  yet,"  continued  I,  glancing 
back,  after  a  few  minutes  of  breathless  silence — "  nor 
can  I  perceive  we  have  gained  on  them.  God  help 
us!" 

"He  will,  Roland— I  feel  He  will!"  replied  Adele, 
suddenly  turning  her  sweet,  sad  face,  and  soft,  dark, 
speaking  eyes  up  to  mine.  "  Heaven  certainly  favors 
us,  or  we  should  not  be  here  now.  Was  not  this 
horse  a  Providence,  my  dear  friend  ?" 

"  It  seems  so  indeed,"  I  answered.  "  Who  could 
have  dreamed,  a  short  half  hour  since,  while  I  lay  a 
bound  prisoner,  in  the  hands  of  a  tribe  numbering 
several  hundred  warriors,  that  I  should  now  be 
mounted  and  flying  from  them,  and  bearing  away  the 
captive  I  came  to  seek?  Who  knows,  dear  Adele, 
but  my  very  misfortune,  as  I  supposed  it  to  be, 
was  one  of  the  mysterious  ways  of  Providence  for 
your  deliverence  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  am  unworthy !"  she  replied—"  I  will  pray." 

It  was  a  fearful  race — and  seems  now,  as  I  recall  it, 
rather  like  a  wild,  terrible  dream,  than  a  reality.  On, 
on,  we  sped,  over  the  seemingly  boundless  prairie, 
with  not  a  hill  or  tree  to  obstruct  the  view,  and  with 
our  enemies,  yelling  like  fiends,  in  hot  pursuit.  For 


320  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

two  long  hours  we  maintained  the  distance  which 
divided  us  on  setting  out,  and  many  a  long  league 
now  lay  between  us  and  the  Arrapahoe  village.  The 
day  was  bright — the  sun  shone  clear — and  earth  and 
sky  would  have  looked  beautiful  to  our  eyes,  could 
we  have  viewed  them  in  peaceful  freedom ;  and  even 
as  it  was,  with  the  soft  breeze  from  the  west  we  drank 
in  hope,  and  felt  our  hearts  beat  with  returning  joy. 
Oh !  how  I  loved  the  noble  animal  beneath  us !  which 
neither  nagged  nor  faltered — but  strained  every  nerve 
to  save  us — and  still  sped  onward  with  lightning 
speed. 

The  sun  was  perhaps  two  hours  and  a  half  above 
the  horizon,  when,  glancing  back,  for  the  hundredth 
time,  I  fairly  shouted : 

"Joy!  joy  I  we  shall  escape!  we  shall  be  saved, 
dear  Adele !  your  prayers  are  heard !" 

"  Saved  I"  she  murmured,  clasping  her  hands — 
"  saved  1" 

"Yes,  we  are  gaining  on  our  pursuers;  already 
their  animals  begin  to  falter;  while  ours  seems  no 
more  fatigued  than  if  his  muscles  were  of  iron." 

"And  shall  we  be  saved,  dear  Eoland?  Oh!  what 
joy !  my  heart  is  too  full  to  speak !  Oh,  God !  let  the 
gratitude  which  fills  my  soul  be  my  offering  to  Thee 
for  this  unexpected  deliverance !" 

During  the  next  quarter  of  an  hour,  we  gained 
perceptibly  on  our  foes ;  and  at  the  end  of  that  time,  a 
distance  of  more  than  half  a  mile  divided  us ;  and  as 


FLIGHT     AXD     PURSUIT.  321 

every  moment  increased  it,  they  at  length  came  to  a 
sudden  halt  and  gave  up  the  chase. 

"  There !  see  1"  cried  I — and  my  heart  leaped  to  my 
throat  for  joy ;  "our  boldness  and  daring,  under  God, 
have  given  us  life  and  liberty ! — our  foes  are  turning 
back." 

Adele  clasped  her  hands,  and  burst  into  tears, 
being  too  deeply  affected  to  utter  a  single  syllable.  I 
now  gradually  checked  the  speed  of  our  foaming 
steed ;  and,  a  few  miles  further  on,  curbed  him  down 
to  a  quiet  walk. 

We  were  still  upon  the  broad,  almost  barren 
prairie,  with  a  clear,  blue  sky  overhead,  and  the 
bright,  warm  sun  rolling  up  the  heavens  in  glory. 
Save  a  small  herd  of  buffaloes  away  to  our  right,  our 
retreating  foes  already  dim  in  the  distance,  and  a  few 
birds  sailing  high  overhead,  apparently  bound  on  a 
long  flight,  not  a  single  living  object  met  our  view. 
The  prairie,  covered  with  the  short,  brown,  buffalo 
grass,  was  almost  as  level  as  a  floor ;  and  away  to  the 
north,  away  to  the  south,  away  to  the  east,  away  to 
the  west,  as  far  as  the  straining  eye  could  reach,  it 
drew  its  even  line  against  the  horizon.  The  scene 
was  grand,  impressive,  solemn ;  and  as  the  first  ex 
citement  of  rejoicing  at  our  escape  from  captivity  and 
death  began  to  die  away,  and  the  mind  began  to  stretch 
from  the  present  into  the  future,  I  shuddered  to  think 
what  an  awful  fate  might  yet  be  ours.  We  were  alone 
upon  this  great  desert,  afar  from  the  settlement  of  a 
white  man,  in  the  territory  of  our  enemies,  surrounded 
19 


322  THE    BOEDER    ROVEK. 

by  foes,  both  animal  and  human,  almost  helpless  as 
infants,  with  nothing  for  defence  and  protection  but 
our  fleet  and  gallant  steed.  I  had  not  a  single  weapon 
of  any  kind,  and  knew  not  which  way  to  steer  to  reach 
the  nearest  station ;  and  any  deviation  from  the  right 
course,  might  carry  us  far  beyond,  entangle  us  in  new 
difficulties,  and  prove  fatal  at  last. 

Adele  observed  the  change  in  my  features,  as  these 
startling  facts  and  fearful  uncertainties  pressed  upon 
my  mind ;  and  she  said,  with  anxiety : 

"  You  seem  troubled,  Eoland?" 

"  I  am,  dear  Adele — I  am." 

"Oh,  speak!  what  is  it?" 

"  "We  have  just  made  a  narrow  escape  from  our 
foes  behind — but  what  is  before  us  ?" 

"  What  do  you  fear,  Eoland  ?" 

"  Everything.  Where  are  we  now  ?  whither  shall 
we  go?  and  how  support  life?" 

"Ah !  what  do  you  mean ?" 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  startle  or  alarm  you,  Adele ;  but 
I  must  tell  you  the  painful  fact,  that  I  have  not  a 
single  weapon;  even  the  knife  with  which  you  cut 
my  cords,  was  forgotten  in  my  haste." 

"Well,  we  may  not  henceforth  be  menaced  by  man 
or  beast." 

"  There  is  a  danger  greater  still,  dear  Adele." 

"  Indeed,  Roland— what  is  it  ?" 

"  Starvation !" 

"  Ah !  I  did  not  think  of  that." 

"How  are  we  to  live?"    I  cried,   despondingly, 


FLIGHT     AND     PUKSUIT.  323 

"we  may  starve  in  sight  of  game;  and  even  were 
it  killed,  we  have  nothing  with  which  to  cut  the  flesh 
asunder,  and  therefore  could  not  use  it." 

"  It  is  dreadful !"  returned  Adele,  with  a  shudder. 
But  the  next  moment  she  added,  with  a  kind  of 
cheerful  vivacity :  "  Let  us  not  despair,  Roland !  but 
trust  something  to  that  Providence  which  has  so 
signally  delivered  us  from  a  fate  worse  than  death. 
We  are,  in  one  sense,  dependent,  helpless  creatures, 
be  we  where  we  may ;  and  after  what  has  just  taken 
place,  surely  we  ought  to  leave  the  future  to  God,  and 
not  despond  till  we  have  certain  cause." 

"You  are  right,"  said  I,  struck  with  admiration  at 
such  noble  sentiments  of  consoling  reliance  on  Divine 
Power — and  which,  as  the  stronger  sex,  and  under 
the  circumstances,  should  rather  have  come  from  me 
than  her.  "  You  are  right,  dear  Adele ;  and  I  thank 
you  for  teaching  me  better  than  to  give  way  to  sad 
forebodings,  at  a  moment  when  my  heart  should  be 
filled  with  rejoicing  at  our  wonderful  escape.  And 
wonderful — nay,  almost  miraculous — it  seems,  all 
things  being  taken  into  consideration.  How  indeed 
came  this  noble  horse,  saddled  and  bridled,  to  be 
standing  there,  at  the  only  moment  of  all  others  when 
he  could  have  saved  us  ?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  Adele;  "but  I  think  he 
had  been  harnessed  for  some  scouting  expedition, 
which  his  master  temporarily  deferred  on  hearing  the 
signal  shouts  of  the  returning  warriors." 


324  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

"But  is  it  not  strango  he  did  not  ride  out  to  meet 
them?" 

"  It  seems  so  to  me;  and  I  am  almost  superstitious 
enough  to  regard  it  as  the  design  of  a  superior  intelli 
gence.  Perhaps  I  should  have  no  lingering  doubts  of 
such  being  the  case,  did  I  not  know  myself  unworthy 
of  superhuman  aid." 

"  And  if  you  are  unworthy,  dear  Adele,  what  can 
be  said  of  me?  But  this  saddle  and  bridle — where 
could  the  savages  have  procured  these  ?" 

"  Doubtless  taken  from  some  victim,  in  one  of  their 
marauding  expeditions  to  the  south ;  for  these  Arra- 
pahoes  sometimes  join  the  Camanches  in  their  descent 
upon  caravans  and  the  frontier  towns  of  Mexico,  and 
sometimes  the  two  tribes  war  against  each  other." 

"  I  would  I  knew  the  fate  of  my  brave  companions  1" 
I  pursued ;  "  if  any,  and  how  many,  escaped — and 
who  were  those  you  saw  brought  in  prisoners.  Poor 
fellows!  their's,  at  least,  I  think,  will  be  a  horrible 
doom.  And  doubtless  I  should  have  suffered  with 
them,  had  it  not  been  for  you,  my  dear  Adele. 
Trust  me,  I  shall  not  soon  forget  your  devoted  hero 
ism." 

"  The  heroism  is  yours,  Eoland,  not  mine,"  returned 
Adele,  quickly.  "I  only  saved  my  noble  deliverer 
by  a  timely  word,  and  can  lay  claim  to  no  merit. 
All  the  devoted  heroism  of  the  whole  affair  belongs 
to  him  who  ventured  hundreds  of  miles,  through 
perils,  into  the  country  of  the  white  man's  foe,  to  set 
the  friendless  captive  free — risking  fortune  and  life 


FLIGHT     AND     PURSUIT.  325 

for  one  who  can  never  repay  him.  May  God  ever 
bless  my  noble  preserver,  Roland  Elvers !  And  surely* 
sir,  if  you  do  not  meet  your  reward  in  this  world,  you 
will  in  the  next." 

"  I  have  it  already,"  I  replied,  in  a  low,  tender  tone; 
"in  clasping  here,  in  freedom,  the  form  of  a  being 
which  my  heart  tells  me  I  love.  Ah !  my  dear  Adele, 
I  must  confess  it — all  that  I  have  done  for  you  has 
been  more  selfish  than  you  seem  inclined  to  suppose. 
The  impression  which  our  first  interview  made  upon 
my  heart,  was  too  deep  to  be  erased ;  and  time  and 
circumstances  have  only  increased  it, 

'  As  streams  their  channels  deeper  wear.' 

I  did  not  then  think  I  loved  you — for  I  scarcely  knew 
what  love  was ;  but  now  I  feel  as  if  we  were  born  for 
each  other ;  and  I  know  that  in  your  absence  I  could 
not  be  happy.  I  then  felt  I  could  be  a  brother  to 
you — I  now  feel  that  I  must  be  more.  How  is  it  with 
you,  Adele  ?  You  are  now  alone  in  the  world — with 
out  home,  without  relations,  without  friends — will 
you  look  upon  me  as  a  protector  ?  as  something  more 
than  a  brother?  In  a  word,  are  you  willing  to  share 
my  fortune,  be  it  good  or  ill?" 

"  Oh,  Eoland  I"  sobbed  Adele ;  "  I  only  know  your 
words  make  me  happy,  and  I  was  never  happy  be 
fore." 

"  God  bless  you !"  cried  I,  impulsively  straining  her 
to  my  heart,  and  venturing  to  press  my  lips  to  her's 
for  the  first  time.  "You  shall  be  mine!  and  my  life 


326  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

shall  be  devoted  to  making  your  happiness  com 
plete." 

It  was  a  strange  place,  and  time,  and  occasion — 
there,  on  that  wide  prairie,  just  escaped  from  our  foes 
behind,  and  looking  forward  to  new  dangers — to 
make  such  an  avowal  of  my  love ;  but  the  very  scene, 
and  time,  and  circumstances,  called  it  forth ;  and  I 
allowed  my  feelings  to  have  full  sway,  and  have  not 
lived  to  regret  that  my  words  then  made  happy  the 
heart  of  the  being  I  truly  loved.  And  what  time  and 
place  could  have  been  more  appropriate  ?  Love  some 
times  springs  up  in  a  moment ;  peculiar  circumstances 
may  develope  a  passion  stronger  than  mortal  life; 
affection,  once  seated  in  the  heart,  may  never  leave 
it ;  and  when  such  is  felt  to  be  the  case,  the  sooner 
there  is  a  mutual  understanding  between  two  beings 
who  seem  born  for  each  other,  the  sooner  will  each 
heart  feel  the  influx  of  a  holy  joy  which  we  trust  will 
be  endless.  Adele  was  alone  with  me — weak,  friend 
less  and  dependent — and  was  it  not  a  virtue  to  let  her 
know  it  would  make  me  happy  to  be  allowed  to 
devote  my  time  to  her  happiness? 

After  a  pause  of  a  few  minutes,  during  which  we 
continued  to  ride  slowly  along,  I  resumed : 

"But,  my  dear  Adele,  let  me  not  in  this  happy 
moment  forget  the  noble  generosity  of  one,  a  stranger 
to  you,  without  whose  assistance  I  might  not  have 
been  in  a  condition  to  render  you  a  service.  I  am 
not  the  only  one  who  has  periled  life,  and  used  the 
means  in  his  power,  to  free  you  from  a  terrible  capti- 


FLIGHT     AND     PURSUIT.  327 

vity.  The  name  of  the  noble  Juan  El  Doliente  must 
be  remembered  in  your  prayers ;  and  if  in  this  world 
now,  I  fear,  alas  I  he  needs  the  interposition  of  Heaven 
to  save  him  from  an  awful  death." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Koland?"  inquired  Adele, 
looking  up  in  surprise. 

Hitherto  I  had  only  mentioned  my  companions  in 
general  terms ;  but  now  I  proceeded  to  speak  of  the 
Spaniard  in  particular.  I  gave  her  an  account  of  our 
meeting,  and  the  conversations  I  had  at  different 
times  held  with  him  concerning  her;  told  her  of  the 
deep  and  apparently  unaccountable  interest  he  had 
taken  in  her  welfare;  and  clearly  stated  how  much 
we  were  both  indebted  to  his  noble  generosity  for  the 
events  which  had  placed  us  in  our  present  positions. 

"  Were  he  indeed  your  father,  brother,  or  long-tried 
friend,  Adele,"  I  continued,  "he  could  not  have 
shown  more  sympathy  for  your  misfortunes,  or  have 
done  more  for  your  rescue ;  and  now  I  have  reason  to 
fear  that  he  has  either  been  killed  or  made  a  hopeless 
prisoner  himself.  As  I  before  informed  you,  I  left 
the  party  separated,  each  going  in  pursuit  of  his 
horse ;  and  you  yourself  have  seen  enough  to  know 
that  there  was  subsequently  a  fight  between  them  and 
the  Indians,  under  Waralongha,  and  that  two  at  least 
were  made  prisoners :  it  may  be  our  noble  friend  was 
one  of  these." 

"The  saints  forbid!"  cried  Adele.  "Oh,  Eoland! 
what  can  be  done  ?" 

"Nothing  by  us,  dear  Adele.     We  can,  alas!  do 


328  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

nothing  for  him,  or  the  rest  of  my  brave  companions ; 
if  we  can  save  ourselves,  it  is  all  we  can  hope  for.  I 
only  felt  that  justice  required  you  should  know  that 
not  to  me  alone  do  you  owe  your  deliverance." 

"You  call  him  Juan  El  Doliente— Juan  The  Suff 
erer — it  is  a  singular  name,  and  I  will  remember  it  in 
my  prayers.  It  is  strange  he  should  take  such  an 
interest  in  me.  Do  you  think  he  fancies  he  knows 
anything  of  my  early  history  ?" 

"I  do  not  know  what  to  think;  he  only  said  what 
I  have  repeated." 

"Oh!  I  would  that  I  could  see  him — perhaps  he 
does  know  something — and  I  am  so  eager  to  learn 
anything.  Was  I  ever  blessed  with  the  affection  of  a 
mother?  and  where  is  that  sweet  being  now?  on 
earth  or  in  Heaven  ?  For  years,  Koland,  during  my 
lonely  life,  I  have  pondered  this  mystery  by  day,  and 
dreamed  of  it  by  night;  and  yet  all  is  dark  and 
mysterious.  Oh!  if  I  could  but  see  this  stranger, 
perhaps  he  could  throw  some  light  upon  the  subject  I" 

"I  had  hoped  to  see  you  meet,  but  I  fear  now  you 
never  will — at  least  on.  earth." 

"Ah !  it  would  be  something  if  I  could  only  have 
one  moment's  interview,  to  offer  him  my  poor  thanks, 
and  tell  him  how  grateful  I  feel !"  she  rejoined,  with 
a  deep  sigh.  "But  in  this,  as  in  all  else  that  befalls 
poor  human  nature,  we  must  say,  with  resignation, 
( God's  will  be  done!'" 

"Even  so,"  said  I  solemnly;  "and  blessed  are  they 
whose  hearts  can  add,  '  Amen !' " 


THE     PARCHED    DESERT.  329 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    PARCHED    DESERT. 

FOR  some  two  or  three  hours  we  now  rode  forward 
at  an  easy  pace,  keeping  due  west.  By  this  time 
the  sun  had  well  advanced  toward  meridian,  and  the 
heat  began  to  be  oppressive,  both  to  ourselves  and  our 
noble  steed ;  yet  nowhere  could  we  perceive  any  signs 
of  shade;  but  everywhere  the  same  level,  dreary, 
monotonous  aspect;  while  the  heated  atmosphere, 
stretching  over  this  arid  waste,  seemed  to  tremble 
arid  quiver  in  the  bright  light.  Our  gallant  animal 
now  began  to  show  symptoms  of  thirst,  and  our  own 
tongues  and  throats  began  to  grow  dry  and  parched. 

"Oh!  for  a  good  draught  of  cold  water!"  at  length 
exclaimed  Adele. 

"Are  you  hungry  also?"  I  inquired,  with  consider 
able  uneasiness. 

"Not  so  hungry  as  I  am  thirsty,"  she  replied. 
"But  you,  dear  Roland,"  she  pursued,  with  anxiety — 
"you  are  both;  you  feel  faint.  I  see  it — do  not  deny 
it.  You  have  not  tasted  food  to-day,  and  you  ate  but 
little  last  night." 

"If  we  could  only  find  water,"  said  I,  "I  could  get 
through  the  day  very  well ;  but  you  are  not  so  strong 
as  I,  and  I  tremble  lest  you  may  be  overcome  by  heat, 
excitement,  fatigue,  and  the  want  of  sustenance." 


330  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

"I  am  not  physically  strong,"  she  replied;  "but  I 
can  bear  more  fatigue  than  you  suppose.  Oh !  if  we 
could  but  find  water !  and  yet  I  can  discover  no  signs 
of  it  in  all  this  vast  region." 

"  Merciful  Heaven !"  cried  I,  shuddering  at  the 
thought;  "it  is  possible  we  are  on  one  of  those 
great  prairie  deserts,  of  which  I  have  read,  and  not  a 
spring  or  stream  may  be  within  fifty  miles  of  us.  I 
now  recollect  that,  save  a  small  run,  near  the  Arra- 
paho  village,  we  have  not  seen  water  since  we  set  out 
this  morning  on  our  fearful  race ;  and  from  our  speed 
for  the  first  two  or  three  hours,  it  is  reasonable  to 
conclude  we  have  passed  over  some  forty  or  fifty 
miles  of  arid  territory." 

"Alas!  what  will  become  of  us,  Eoland?" 

"  God  only  knows ;  but  let  us  not  despond." 

We  rode  on  for  half  an  hour  longer,  and  drew  near 
a  small  herd  of  buffaloes,  which,  on  perceiving  us, 
bounded  away  to  the  north.  Oh  I  what  would  I  not 
have  given  for  a  rifle,  or  a  holster  pistol  even,  with 
plenty  of  amunition,  that  I  might  have  followed  and 
slain  one  for  food  !  As  it  was,  even,  I  felt  tempted  to 
follow  them,  in  the  hope  that  their  course  would  lead 
to  some  spring  or  stream ;  but  as  I  hesitated  about 
turning  from  the  point  I  had  fixed  in  my  mind,  Adele 
suddenly  exclaimed,  with  great  animation,  pointing 
directly  westward : 

"  Look  yonder,  Koland  !  look  yonder  1" 

"What  is  it,  Adele?" 

"Far  away  yonder,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  a  dark 


THE    PARCHED    DESERT.  331 

object  rises  against  the  clear  back-ground*  of  the  blue 
sky." 

"  I  see  something ;  but  what  is  it  ? 

"I  think  it  is  a  small  grove,  Koland;  and  if  so,  the 
trees  grow  upon  the  bank  of  a  stream,  and  we  shall 
soon  find  water." 

"  God  forbid  that  we  should  be  disappointed  in  the 
hope !"  cried  I,  not  a  little  excited ;  and  forthwith  I 
began  to  urge  our  gallant  beast  forward  at  as  fast  a 
pace  as  I  thought  prudent. 

Fixing  our  eyes  on  the  distant  dark  object,  and 
keeping  them  there  riveted,  as  if  fearful  it  would 
disappear,  we  pushed  on  for  another  hour,  under  a 
burning  meridian  sun,  scarcely  exchanging  a  syllable, 
and  at  times  almost  suspending  our  breath  with  an 
intense  excitement,  which  continually  alternated  be 
tween  hope  and  fear.  As  we  gradually  neared  the 
dark  object,  it  rose  more  and  more  distinctly  against 
the  horizon,  till,  with  feelings  of  joy  I  cannot  describe, 
we  beheld  the  outline  of  a  cluster  of  trees.  Our  noble 
horse  now  seemed  to  share  our  feelings  of  exultation, 
and  bounded  forward  with  increased  speed ;  and  in  a 
short  time  I  reined  him  in  to  a  halt,  panting  and 
trembling,  under  the  shade  of  a  small  cluster  of  cot- 
tonwoods. 

Great  Heaven !  what  language  can  do  justice  to  the 
awful,  prostrating  sense  of  disappointment  and  despair 
we  now  experienced,  on  looking  around  and  discov 
ering  that  we  stood  on  the  bank  of  a  water-course 
whose  bed  of  mingled  sand  and  clay  was  hard,  ^  M , 


332  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

and  cracked  !  For  some  time  neither  could  speak ; 
but  after  one  quick,  hurried,  painful  glance  around 
us,  we  turned  our  feverish  eyes  upon  each  other,  with 
a  wild,  startled  expression — an  expression  which  con 
veyed  from  soul  to  soul  the  terrible  consciousness  of 
our  appalling  situation. 

"Oh,  God!"  murmured  Adele,  covering  her  eyes 
with  her  hands,  as  if  to  shut  out  the  agonizing  reality. 

"  Let  us  dismount,"  said  I,  in  as  calm  and  quiet  a 
tone  as  the  trembling  state  of  my  nerves  would 
permit.  " Our  poor  beast  is  weary;  we  must  let  him 
rest." 

As  I  spoke,  I  slid  from  his  back,  received  Adele  in 
my  arms,  and  gently  deposited  her  upon  the  earth. 
The  noble  animal,  covered  with  perspiration,  was  now 
trembling  and  panting;  but,  turning  his  head  to  me, 
as  I  stood  despairingly  by  his  side,  he  uttered  a 
mournful  whinny ;  and  by  a  look,  which  haunted  me 
for  days,  seemed  to  appeal  to  me  to  relieve  him  of 
his  sufferings.  Never  had  I  beheld,  on  the  face  of  a 
brute,  such  a  mournful  look  of  helpless  dependence ; 
and  I  could  not  but  fancy  he  comprehended  his 
situation,  with  something  akin  to  human  intelligence. 
I  remembered  how  nobly  he  had  saved  us,  by  bearing 
us  so  swiftly  from  those  who  were  friends  to  him,  if 
foes  to  us ;  and  the  reflection  that  it  was  now  beyond 
my  power  to  show  my  gratitude,  by  relieving  him  in 
the  slightest  degree  of  his  sufferings,  caused  the  hot 
tears  to  fill  my  aching  eyes.  Under  the  half-parched 
cotton-woods,  that  stood  scattered  along  the  banks  of 


THE    PARCHED     DESERT.  333 

the  arid  water-course,  the  short  grass,  if  not  greener, 
seemed  less  burnt  and  withered  than  on  the  open 
plain ;  and  in  the  hope  that  our  poor  beast  might  be 
induced  to  feed,  and  thus  in  some  measure  recruit  his 
wasted  strength,  so  as  to  be  able  to  bear  us  on  another 
journey,  I  removed  the  bridle  from  his  head  and 
turned  him  loose.  He  looked  wistfully  around,  and, 
hurrying  down  to  the  bed  of  the  water-course,  put  his 
nose  to  the  hard-baked  earth,  and  snuffed,  and  whin 
nied  ;  and  then,  finding  that  he  could  get  nothing  to 
slake  his  thirst,  he  came  back,  and  seemed  to  appeal 
to  me  in  the  same  mournful  manner  as  before.  I  was 
so  deeply  affected,  as  for  the  time  to  think  more  of 
his  sufferings  than  my  own;  and  had  I  at  that 
moment  been  the  fortunate  possessor  of  a  few  gallons 
of  the  liquid  element,  I  should  have  divided  it  be 
tween  him  and  Adele,  with  perhaps  nothing  more 
than  barely  moistening  my  own  parched  lips. 

Our  situation  was  now  in  a  high  degree  alarming, 
and  was  every  moment  becoming  more  appalling. 
Cast  adrift,  so  to  speak,  upon  an  ocean-like  desert — 
parched  and  fevered  by  a  burning  sun — without  water 
— without  food — with  no  cheering  prospect  of  either 
before  us — surrounded  by  enemies — a  hundred  miles, 
perhaps,  from  the  nearest  habitation  of  any  one  of  our 
race,  even  were  we  certain  where  to  seek  it — what 
could  we  look  forward  to  but  death  in  one  of  its  most 
terrible  forms  ? — perhaps  a  lingering  death  of  starva 
tion,  preceded  by  insanity !  As  I  cast  my  eyes  upon 
poor  Adele  who  now  stood  before  me,  with  clasped 


33-i  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

hands,  leaning  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree  for  support, 
her  sweet  face  the  very  picture  of  hopeless  despair,  it 
seemed  as  if  my  very  blood  was  curdling  in  my  veins 
— a  faint,  sickening  feeling  came  over  me — and,  with 
a  groan  of  mental  anguish  and  physical  suffering,  I 
sunk  down  upon  the  earth. 

"  Oh,  Eoland,  you  are  ill !"  cried  the  poor  girl,  in 
a  frightened  tone,  as  she  sprung  to  my  side,  bent  down, 
and  seized  both  of  my  hands.  "  Oh,  Roland — deai 
Eoland — you  are  ill !" 

"I  feel  faint,  dear  Adele,"  I  replied,  in  a  feeble 
voice ;  "  but  do  not  be  alarmed ;  I  trust  I  shall  soon 
be  better." 

"  Holy  Virgin !  you  are  dying  of  thirst !" 

"  No,  my  dear  Adele,  it  is  not  that.  I  am  thirsty, 
it  is  true,  and  perhaps  a  little  faint  for  the  want  of 
food ;  but  neither  sof  these  causes  could  produce  so 
great  a  prostration  in  so  short  a  time.  It  may  be  that 
riding  in  the  hot  sun  has  affected  me." 

"Ah!  yes!  yes!  I  did  not  think  of  that!  Then 
your  case  is  so  much  the  more  alarming.  Oh,  holy 
saints !  what  is  to  be  done  ?" 

"  Try  and  be  calm.     I  think  I  shall  soon  be  better.'7 

"And  I  have  nothing  to  offer  you — not  even  a  drop 
of  water,  to  allay  the  fever  of  a  burning  thirst.  Come," 
she  continued,  "  for  my  sake,  dear  Roland,  make  an 
effort  to  ride  a  little  further — for  you  will  certainly 
die  here  !  Perhaps  if  we  follow  this  dry  bed,  it  will 
conduct  us  to  a  running  stream." 

"  Your  advice  is  good,  dear  Adele,"  I  feebly  replied, 


THE    PAECHED     DESEKT.  335 

making  an  effort  to  get  upon  my  feet,  which,  with  her 
assistance,  I  succeeded  in  doing;  but  the  next  instant 
all  seemed  to  grow  dark  around  me;  and  merely 
adding,  "I  think  I  am  dying,"  I  again  sunk  down 
upon  the  earth,  and  my  senses  deserted  me. 

"When  I  returned  to  consciousness,  after  the  lapse 
of  perhaps  a  couple  of  hours,  I  found  Adele  sitting 
by  my  side,  weeping  and  wringing  her  hands,  the  em 
bodiment  of  despair.  I  spoke  to  her,  and  the  sound 
of  my  voice  seemed  to  infuse  new  life  into  her  fevered 
veins. 

"Oh!  Koland,"  she  cried,  "you  still  live!  I  was 
afraid  you  would  never  speak  to  me  again  I" 

" God  bless  you,  poor  girl!"  I  murmured. 

"How  do  you  feel  now?"  she  inquired,  with  tremb 
ling  eagerness. 

"  A  little  better,  thank  Heaven  I" 

"The  saints  be  praised!  Are  you  able  to  resume 
your  journey  ?" 

"  I  soon  shall  be,  I  think." 

I  still  felt  weak  and  sick  ;  but  my  involuntary  sleep 
had  slightly  refreshed  me,  and  in  a  few  minutes  I  was 
able  to  stand  alone.  Our  poor  beast  was  still  with  us ; 
and  catching  and  bridling  him,  Adele  led  him  to  my 
side.  I  managed,  with  some  assistance  from  the  poor 
girl,  to  crawl  upon  his  back;  and  Adele  getting  up  in 
front  of  me,  we  turned  his  head  down  the  water-course, 
and  started  him  forward  in  search  of  water. 

For  two  or  three  hours  we  rode  slowly  along,  under 
a  hot,  summer  sun,  which  by  this  time  had  far  de- 


336  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

scended  toward  the  western  horizon.  Suddenly  now 
our  noble  animal  pricked  up  his  ears,  snuffed  the  hot 
air,  and  set  forward  at  an  easy  gallop. 

"  God  be  praised  1"  cried  Adele,  joyfully — "the  beast 
scents  water !" 

" Do  you  think  so?" 

"  Yes,  I  am  almost  certain  of  it,  Roland.  The  senses 
of  these  animals  of  instinct,  which  live  upon  the 
prairies,  are  far  more  acute  and  unerring  than  those 
which  belong  to  reasoning  man.  They  will,  when 
famishing,  scent  food  and  water  at  an  incredible 
distance  ;  and  they  are  often  the  first,  likewise,  to  warn 
their  more  intellectual  companions  of  approaching 
danger." 

To  our  unspeakable  delight,  the  result  proved  that 
this  time  Adele  was  not  wrong  in  her  conjecture  con 
cerning  the  proximity  of  water.  Our  noble  animal 
gradually  quickened  his  pace  as  he  went  on,  till  at 
last  I  was  compelled,  for  our  own  safety,  to  check  his 
furious  speed.  Still  keeping  down  the  dry  bed  of  the 
water-course  we  found  its  junction  with  a  similar 
water-course,  about  a  mile  from  where  our  horse  first 
snuffed  the  air ;  and  in  the  bed  of  this  latter  we  beheld, 
with  emotions  that  language  has  no  power  to  describe, 
a  tiny  stream — a  mere  silvery  thread,  of  not  more 
than  two  hands  breadth,  which  ran  gurgling  over 
white  sand  and  bright  pebbles — its  sweet  music 
bringing  to  the  soul  a  beatific  rapture,  which  in  effect 
might  be  likened  to  the  heavenly  strain  which  greets 


THE    PARCHED     DESERT.  337 

the  weary  spirit,  long  sunk  in  despair,  as  it  floats  to 
the  shore  of  life  in  eternity. 

Once  in  sight  of  the  liquid  element,  it  was  no  longer 
possible  for  me,  in  my  weak  state,  to  hold  in  check 
our  almost  maddened  beast ;  and  therefore  I  gave  him 
the  rein ;  while  we  both  clung  to  the  saddle,  till  he 
leaped  into  the  run,  and  began  to  slake  his  thirst; 
when  we  slid  from  his  back,  and  were  soon  following 
his  example.  Oh !  that  first  draught  of  something  far 
beyond  the  ambrosial  nectar  of  the  gods!  What  lan 
guage  can  describe  the  sensations  of  rapture  we 
experienced  as  it  passed  our  parched  and  swollen  lips, 
and  spread  its  seemingly  life-giving  power  through 
all  our  veins  I  Never  before  had  I  the  faintest  con 
ception  of  the  ecstactic  thrill  which  might  reach  the 
spirit  through  the  single  sense  of  taste ;  and  were  it 
possible  for  all  our  senses  to  receive  each  its  highest 
pleasure,  in  the  same  degree  and  at  the  same  moment, 
I  do  not  think  it  possible  for  the  mortal  portion  of  man 
to  survive  the  event. 

Having  with  a  few  draughts  found  immediate  relief 
from  our  intense  sufferings,  we  fortunately  had  suf- 
ficent  self-command  to  avoid  drinking  our  fill  too 
suddenly  ;  and  we  sat  "by  the  purling  rivulet,  looking 
at  each  other,  expressing  our  joy  and  gratitude  in 
fervent  words,  and  ever  and  anon  bathing  our  hands 
and  faces,  and  taking  another  and  another  delicious 
draught,  till  nature  became  satisfied,  and  we  found  our 
selves,  as  if  by  magic,  with  renewed  life,  and  strength, 
and  hope. 
20 


338  THE    BOEDER    EOVEK. 

"  You  are  better,  dear  Koland !"  exclaimed  Adele, 
joyfully.  "I  see  it  in  your  sparkling  eye  and  anima 
ted  features." 

"  We  are  both  better,  thank  God  I"  I  replied  ;  "for 
I  can  see  the  same  happy  change  in  you  which  you 
perceive  in  me." 

"  Oh !« we  cannot  be  too  grateful  to  an  over-ruling 
Providence  for  our  second  happy  deliverance!"  re 
joined  Adele;  and  as  she  spoke,  she  lifted  her  eyes  in 
silent  prayer  to  the  great  Unseen — a  prayer  of  thanks 
giving  in  which  my  own  heart  joined. 

But  our  perils  were  by  no  means  past;  our 
difficulties  were  not  yet  all  surmounted ;  and  all  too 
soon  this  painful  conviction  forced  itself  upon  us — com 
ing  like  the  black  storm-cloud  in  the  serene  heavens, 
to  shut  out  the  sun  of  hope — or  like  the  dark  pall  of 
death,  to  cover  the  body  of  our  joy.  We  were  still 
in  the  great  wilderness,  surrounded  by  dangers;  and 
grim  starvation  still  stared  us  in  the  face.  Our  burn 
ing  thirst  quenched — our  weary  bodies  filled  with 
new  life  and  strength — we  now,  alas !  began  to  ex 
perience  the  sensations  of  hunger  in  a  marked  degree ; 
and  the  fact  that  we  could  not  look  forward  with 
certainty,  scarcely  with  hope,  to  timely  relief,  was  the 
cause  of  sad,  painful  and  prostrating  forebodings- 
forebodings,  indeed,  which  sharpened  our  desires,  and 
rendered  the  cravings  of  nature  more  keen.  We  were 
not  at  this  moment  actually  suffering  for  the  want  of 
food  ;  but  we  knew  we  could  not  long  exist  without 


THE    PARCHED     DESERT.  339 

it ;  and  this  fearful  knowledge  caused  us  mental,  at 
least,  if  not  physical  pain. 

"What  was  to  be  done  ?  and  how  and  where  should 
we  pass  the  night  ?  The  sun  was  far  on  the  decline, 
and  darkness  would  soon  overtake  us;  and  yet  the 
place  where  we  were,  devoid  of  trees  as  it  was,  did  not 
seem  suitable  for  an  encampment.  Away  in  the  dis 
tance,  toward  the  west,  we  perceived  a  small  cluster 
of  cotton- woods;  and  after  a  brief  consultation  we 
decided  to  ride  thither,  and  trust  the  rest  to  that 
Providence  which  had  so  kindly  watched  over  us. 
Our  weary  beast,  which  was  now  eagerly  cropping 
the  nutritious  grass,  having  drank  his  fill  of  pure 
water,  was  readily  caught ;  and  again  mounting  him, 
we  were  soon  pursuing  our  unknown  course  along  the 
banks  of  the  tiny  stream,  which  we  had  resolved  to 
keep  in  view  until  we  should  reach  its  head  waters  or 
find  it  necessary  to  alter  our  course. 

Just  as  the  sun,  in  a  blaze  of  glory,  was  sinking 
below  the  western  horizon,  we  reached  the  cotton- 
wood  grove ;  and  somewhat  to  our  delight — for  their 
very  presence  seemed  to  cheer  us — we  found  a  few 
gay  birds  fluttering  among  the  tremulous  leaves,  and 
twittering  away  as  gaily  as  if  there  were  no  such 
thing  as  human  misery  on  the  great  earth,  above 
which  they  daily  winged  their  flight  and  sung  their 
songs.  My  first  care  was  to  unsaddle  our  gallant 
beast  and  hopple  him — which  latter  I  did  by  means 
of  straps  taken  from  the  bridle  and  saddle,  which  I 
buckled  and  joined  together  as  best  I  could.  One 


340  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

buckle,  with  a  sharp-pointed  tongue,  I  made  use  of, 
in  lieu  of  a  knife,  to  sever  some  strips  from  the  sad 
dle-cloth,  which  I  tied  together,  to  serve  as  a  tether ; 
and  driving  a  short,  dry  stick  into  the  ground,  I  felt 
quite  relieved  to  know  I  could  picket  the  animal  near 
me,  after  allowing  him  a  reasonable  time  to  feed, 
while  the  remainder  of  the  saddle-cloth  would  serve 
in  some  measure  as  a  blanket  for  Adele. 

Having  thus,  as  well  as  my  straitened  circum 
stances  would  permit,  made  my  preparations  for 
passing  the  night,  which  had  already  begun  to  spread 
its  dark  mantle  over  the  earth,  gradually  shutting  in 
the  monotonous  view  of  the  mighty  desert  around  us, 
I  threw  myself  down  on  the  ground  by  the  side  of  my 
gentle  companion,  and,  encircling  her  with  my  arms, 
drew  her  fondly  to  my  heart.  For  some  minutes  we 
satin  gloomy  silence,  each  busy  with  painful  thoughts, 
which  neither  felt  disposed  to  make  known  to  the 
other.  "We  were  both  much  fatigued  with  our  long 
ride,  and  both  somewhat  faint  for  the  want  of  food, 
while  the  prospect  before  us  was  far  from  cheering. 
With  plenty  of  game,  and  means  for  lighting  a  fire 
and  cooking  it,  we  should  have  been  comparatively 
happy  in  the  present,  and  could  have  looked  forward 
to  the  future  with  hope  and  joy ;  but  as  it  was,  the 
thought  of  the  morrow  increased  our  gloom. 

"  We  are  fortunate  in  one  thing,  dear  Adele,"  said 
I,  at  length,  speaking  abruptly  from  my  train  of 
thought;  "we  shall  not  suffer  from  the  cold,  even 
though  we  have  no  fire." 


THE     PARCHED    DESERT.  341 

"  We  are  fortunate  in  many  things,  dear  Koland," 
she  replied,  in  a  low,  tremulous  voice,  which  she 
evidently  sought  to  render  calm,  so  as  not  to  betray 
her  secret  emotions.  "  We  are  fortunate  in  many 
things.  We  have  escaped  from  our  enemies ;  we  have 
been  permitted  to  quench  our  burning,  feverish  thirst ; 
we  are  here  in  peace  and  comparative  health ;  and 
though  wanting  food,  we  are  not  yet  positively  suffer 
ing  ;  and  who  knows  but  the  morrow  may  bring  us 
all  we  desire?" 

"  Who  knows  ?"  said  I.  After  another  long  silence, 
I  resumed:  "If  we  pass  the  night  in  safety,  our 
gallant  steed  will  be  refreshed,  and  be  able  to  bear  us 
on  with  ease  and  speed  toward  the  mountains ;  and 
if  we  can  only  reach  them  before  we  are  completely 
exhausted,  it  is  possible  we  may  subsist  on  roots  and 
berries  till  we  can  find  some  one  of  the  several  stations 
which  here  and  there  dot  the  great  wilderness.  To 
the  best  of  my  judgment,  we  must  now  be  within  one 
or  two  days' journey  of  St.  Train's  Fort;  but  not 
knowing  the  proper  course  to  pursue,  we  may  never 
find  it.  However,  my  dear  Adele,  let  us  not  despair, 
but  trust  the  future  to  God.  You  are  fatigued  ;  pray 
lie  down  here,  and  get  what  rest  you  can ;  the  ground, 
fortunately,  is  dry,  and  this  saddle  will  serve  you  for 
a  pillow,  and  this  cloth  will  keep  you  from  the  dew, 
should  any  fall." 

"  And  you,  dear  Koland  ?" 

"  I  will  sit  by  your  side  and  watch." 

"  But  you  will  be  worn  out!" 


342  THE    BORDER    ROVER, 

"  No,  I  feel  quite  strong  now." 

"  But  you  must  sleep  too !  You  must  let  me  watch 
a  part  of  the  night  at  least !" 

"  Very  well ;  if  you  will  sleep  now,  I  will  consent 
to  let  you  watch  toward  morning." 

With  this  understanding,  Adele  laid  her  head  upon 
the  saddle,  and  I  covered  her  with  the  saddle-cloth ; 
and  in  a  few  minutes  nature  asserted  its  mastery,  and 
her  wandering  thoughts  became  involved  in  peaceful 
dreams. 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

THE  WOLVES   OUR   FRIENDS. 

THERE  was  a  kind  of  subdued,  melancholy  pleasure, 
in  sitting  there,  by  the  side  of  one  I  loved;  and  listen 
ing  to  her  gentle  breathings,  while  "nature's  sweet 
restorer"  set  a  quiet,  peaceful  seal  upon  her  external 
senses.  Minute  succeeded  minute,  hour  followed 
hour,  and  yet  she  continued  to  sleep  as  tranquilly  as 
if  upon  a  bed  of  down,  her  gentle  respirations  being 
barely  audible  to  her  lonely  listener.  Had  the  future 
opened  serenely  to  the  mind,  without  the  dark  shadows 
which  fancy  now  placed  in  the  vista  through  which  it 
looked  forward  to  a  distant  point  of  time,  those  hours 
of  lonely,  solemn  watching  would  have  been  among 
the  happiest  of  my  life ;  but  it  was  impossible  to 


THE    WOLVES    OUR    FRIENDS.  343 

divest  myself  of  a  fear  of  approaching  danger  in  some 
form,  or  think  of  coming  hours  without  an  undefinablo 
dread.  Happy  sleeper — happy  now,  at  least,  in  her 
unconsciousness — to  what  scenes  of  peril,  trial,  and 
suffering  might  she  not  awake  1  It  was  pleasure  to 
see  her  sleep ;  it  would  be  happiness  to  guard,  protect, 
and  provide  for  her  necessities ;  but  it  would  be  more 
than  death  to  see  her  snatched  suddenly  from  me,  by 
man  or  beast,  without  the  means  of  striking  a  single 
blow  in  her  defence;  or  see  her  wither  and  waste 
away,  like  a  blasted  flower,  without  the  power  of  sup 
plying  the  common  demands  of  nature.  It  was  this 
reflection  that  made  me  sad,  gloomy,  and  wretched, 
even  while  my  heart  felt  something  like  joy  that  she 
was  still  safe  and  sleeping  sweetly  under  my  vigilant 
eye. 

For  hours,  I  say,  I  sat  by  the  side  of  her  I  loved— 
my  back  braced  against  the  trunk  of  a  large  cotton - 
wood — my  eyes  wandering  over  the  dark  plain,  in 
search  of  danger — and  my  ears  listening  to  catch  the 
slightest  sound.  "We  were  in  a  lonely  region  of 
country,  where  wild  and  savage  beasts,  and  wild  and 
savage  men,  were  lords  and  masters  of  the  soil ;  and 
there  was  no  telling  what  moment  we  might  be 
surprised  by  a  foe,  against  whose  fell  design,  weak 
and  defenceless  as  I  was,  I  could  bring  no  opposing 
force.  The  fact  that  I  had  no  weapons  of  defence,  and 
for  this  reason  knew  myself  almost  as  helpless  as 
an  infant,  rendered  me  in  a  great  degree  a  very 
coward ;  and  therefore  I  watched  with  timid  uneasiness, 


344  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

often  starting  at  the  objects  of  my  fancy,  and  fairly 
trembling  at  any  unusual  sound. 

"While  I  watched,  I  gradually  fell  into  that  comatose 
state,  in  which  the  mind  acts  in  the  double  capacity 
of  sleeping  and  waking — when  we  dream;  and  know 
we  dream,  and  yet  are  conscious  of  external  surround 
ings,  but  without  the  power  of  distinct  comprehension. 
At  length  I  began  to  experience  a  sensation  of  fear 
and  dread,  as  if  some  dark  object  were  creeping  softly 
to  my  side;  and  arousing  myself  suddenly,  I  beheld, 
by  the  light  of  the  moon,  which  had  now  risen  and 
was  pouring  its  silvery  beams  upon  the  broad  plain, 
a  large  prairie  wolf  within  ten  feet  of  me.  I  started 
to  my  feet,  with  a  cry  of  alarm;  and  taking  fright, 
he  bounded  away,  with  a  fierce  howl,  and  soon  dis 
appeared  in  the  uncertain  light. 

The  noise  awoke  Adele,  who  also  started  up  in 
alarm,  exclaiming : 

"  Where  am  I  ?  what  is  it  ?" 

I  hastened  to  explain,  and  endeavored  to  persuade 
her  to  lie  down  again  and  sleep  on ;  but  she  declared 
she  felt  quite  refreshed,  and  insisted  that  I  should  take 
her  place,  and  allow  her  to  watch,  according  to  our 
agreement.  I  was  loth  to  do  so  ;  but  she  held  me  to 
my  promise ;  and  feeling  the  need  of  rest,  to  enable 
me  to  make  a  long  journey  on  the  morrow,  I  finally 
yielded  assent. 

But  my  first  care  now  was  to  picket  our  horse, 
which  was  still  feeding  at  no  great  distance  ;  and 
having  accomplished  this,  I  took  a  general  survey  ot 


THE    WOLVES    OUR    FRIENDS.  345 

the  mighty  scene,  by  the  pale  light  of  the  waning 
moon,  which  shone  through  a  cloudless  sky,  its  silvery 
rays  falling  upon  the  great  desert  with  a  subdued  and 
solemn  effect ;  and  finding  all  still  and  quiet,  as  if 
nature  herself  had  sunk  to  repose,  I  placed  my  head 
upon  the  saddle,  intending  merely  to  rest  my  weary 
body  and  limbs,  and  keep  watch  with  Adele  at  the 
same  time.  But  scarcely  had  my  head  touched  my 
pillow,  when  my  eyes  closed,  my  senses  grew  confused 
and  wandering,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes  I  was 
sound  asleep. 

I  slept  for  hours,  unconscious  of  everything ;  and 
when  I  at  last  awoke,  I  saw,  to  my  surprise,  that  the 
moon  was  high  in  the  heavens,  and  that  her  pale  light 
was  feebly  struggling  with  the  first  gray  of  morning. 
I  started  up,  and  looked  around  me  for  Adele ;  but, 
to  my  dismay  and  alarm,  she  was  not  to  be  seen.  I 
called  her  by  name — but  received  no  answer.  I 
looked  for  my  horse ;  but  he  was  quietly  lying  on 
his  side  by  the  picket,  where  I  had  left  him  before 
lying  down  myself.  What  could  have  happened  ? 
Apprehensive  of  something  terrible,  though  I  knew 
not  what,  and  with  a  cold  sweat  starting  from  every 
pore,  I  hurried  about  in  search  of  her,  continually 
calling  her  by  name.  It  was  not  long  ere  I  espied 
her  fragile  form,  lying  upon  the  bank  of  the  little 
stream,  a  few  rods  below  the  camp.  I  ran  to  her  side, 
bent  over  her,  and  seized  her  small,  white  hand, 
fearful  of  finding  it  cold  in  death.  But  no — to  my 


346  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

unutterable  joy  it  was  warm — her  pulse  beat  regularly, 
and  her  respiration  was  gentle  as  one  in  sleep. 

"  Adele !"  I  cried,  still  frightened  and  apprehensive. 
"  Adele !  dear  Adele!  for  God's  sake,  awake!" 

"  Oh,  Koland,  what  is  it  ?  "  she  exclaimed,  starting 
up  in  terror.  "  Quick !  Tell  me  what  has  happened  ?" 

"Nothing,  dear  Adele,  if  you  are  well.  I  was 
alarmed  for  you.  Why  are  you  here  ?  are  you  ill  ?  " 

"  Forgive  me  !"  she  said,  looking  hurriedly  around ; 
" forgive  me,  dear  Koland!  I  am  but  a  poor  sentinel, 
I  see.  Ah  me !  to  fall  asleep  on  my  post  1" 

"  God  be  praised  if  it  be  nothing  worse !"  said  I, 
with  a  feeling  of  relief  which  can  better  be  imagined 
than  expressed.  "  I  was  fearful  something  terrible 
had  happened  to  you.  To  fall  asleep  was  natural,  for 
one  who  had  undergone  so  much  fatigue  as  you,  dear 
Adele ;  but  pray  tell  me  how  it  is  I  find  you  here  ?" 

"  I  will,  dear  Eoland,  and  you  must  forgive  me — it 
shall  not  happen  again.  After  you  fell  asleep,  I  began 
to  grow  drowsy  myself;  and  fearing  I  should  give 
way  to  my  feelings  and  lose  myself,  I  got  up  and 
commenced  walking  to  and  fro  in  front  of  you.  Then 
feeling  thirsty,  I  came  down  here  to  take  a  drink ; 
and  having  drank,  I  sat  down  on  the  bank,  and  that 
is  the  last  I  remember." 

"  Poor  girl  !"  cried  I,  clasping  her  to  my  heart  : 
"I  am  glad  you  slept,  for  you  were  wearied  out;  but 
you  should  have  left  me  on  the  watch,  for  we  might 
have  been  surprised  and  killed.  But  all  is  well — God 
in  his  mercy  has  guarded  us !" 


THE    WOLVES    OUR    FKIENDS.  347 

"Ob,  dear  Roland,  I  am  so  grieved  and  troubled 
at  this  1"  she  continued.  "  You  will  not  dare  to  trust 
me  again  ;  and  you  will  wear  yourself  out  in  keeping 
guard,  because  of  my  present  neglect." 

"  Say  no  more  about  it,  dear  girl ;  perhaps  we  shall 
have  no  more  need  of  nocturnal  vigilance.  It  was  all 
for  the  best,  I  think;  and  if  you  feel  refreshed,  I  am 
glad  it  happened." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  am  greatly  refreshed,  and  feel  quite 
well." 

"But  you  must  be  faint,  nevertheless  !"  said  I, 
despondingly ;  "  for  it  has  now  been  twenty -four  hours 
since  you  have  tasted  food." 

"  And  longer^ since  any  passed  your  lips,  dear 
Roland,"  she  replied,  in  a  tone  of  deep  feeling.  "  You 
do  not  seem  to  think  of  yourself." 

"  God  grant  we  may  find  some  means  to  allay  the 
cravings  of  hunger  ere  we  sleep  again !"  I  rejoined  ; 
"  though  I  confess  I  have  but  little  hope.  But  come  1 
day  is  dawning ;  and  if  you  feel  able  to  ride,  we  will 
set  off  at  once ;  for  it  is  useless  to  remain  longer  here, 
since  our  gallant  steed  has  received  his  proper  food 
and  rest." 

"  I  am  ready,  dear  Roland  ;  and  oh !  believe  me,  I 
feel  quite  strong." 

I  hastened  to  prepare  our  horse  for  our  second  day's 
journey  ;  and  having  watered  him  at  the  brook,  and 
drank  as  much  as  we  could  ourselves,  we  mounted 
him  once  more,  and  were  soon  galloping  easily  and 
swiftly  over  the  plain,  still  keeping  as  near  as  possible 


348  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

due  west.  This  course,  much  to  our  regret,  in  a  very 
short  time  led  us  across  the  little  stream — which,  on 
account  of  its  channel  running  almost  north  and  south, 
we  were  compelled  to  leave  behind  us ;  but  I  thought 
it  more  expedient  to  incur  the  risk  of  finding  water  on 
our  route  westward,  than  to  delay  reaching  the 
mountains  by  taking  another  course. 

Never  did  I  behold  a  more  grand  and  glorious 
sunrise  than  on  that  morning.  The  atmosphere  was 
clear  and  still — not  a  single  cloud  dotted  the  heavens 
— and  the  even  line  of  the  eastern  horizon,  stretching 
away  north  and  south,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
allowed  every  tint  and  shade  to  be  perceived  in  its 
dimmest  and  brightest  hue,  and  in  its  deepest  and 
broadest  extent.  First  a  pale,  golden  streak  shot  up 
toward  the  zenith,  and  gradually  spread  abroad  to  the 
north  and  south,  till  it  so  perfectly  blended  with  the 
serene  blue  sky  that  the  eye  could  not  mark  where  it 
began  or  ended.  Then  came  another  streak  of  brigh 
ter  gold,  and  floated  away  like  a  thin,  transparent 
vapor,  or  tissue-tint,  deepening  the  hue  and  heighten 
ing  the  beauty  of  the  first.  Then  another  and  another 
followed  in  rapid  succession,  till  the  whole  east  was  a 
deep  golden  glow.  Then  shot  up  a  streak  of  pale 
crimson;  and  as  it  floated  over  the  golden  back 
ground,  the  effect  was  beautiful  beyond  description. 
A  few  more  shades  rapidly  succeeded  each  other,  each 
deeper  and  brighter  than  the  last ;  and  then  the  eye 
was  enchanted  with  a  golden  vermillion,  which  grew 
brighter  and  more  bright,  with  the  increasing  light, 


THE    WOLVES    OUR    FRIENDS.  349 

till  the  golden  vermillion  seemed  blended  with  a  flood 
of  liquid  silver;  and  then  the  sun  burst  upon  the 
scene  with  a  glory  beyond  the  power  of  language  to 
portray. 

Notwithstanding  our  trying,  painful,  and  perilous 
situation — a  condition  calculated  to  withdraw  our 
thoughts  from  all  things  foreign  to  self-preservation 
— we  could  not  forego  the  pleasure  of  turning  to  view 
so  glorious  a  manifestation  of  God's  limning  on  the 
canvas  of  heaven,  nor  look  upon  it  unmoved  by  a 
thrill  of  delight  that  penetrated  to  the  very  soul. 

U0hl  how  gorgeously,  gloriously  beautiful!"  ex 
claimed  Adele;  "and  with  such  a  beginning  of  the 
day,  can  we  augur  a  night  of  gloom,  and  despair  to 
follow?" 

"We  will  hope  otherwise,  dear  Adele,"  I  replied, 
with  what  cheerfulness  I  could  assume. 

We  rode  on,  at  an  easy  gallop,  for  some  two  or 
three  hours,  when  we  came  to  another  little  run,  or 
water-course,  which  was  almost  dry.  Here  we  stop 
ped  and  watered  our  horse,  and  drank  what  we  could 
ourselves.  On  casually  examining  the  ground  here, 
I  noticed,  with  uneasiness  and  some  alarm,  the  hoof- 
prints  of  other  horses,  in  the  yielding  sand  or  clay — 
and  that  they  led  off  in  a  southerly  direction — but 
whether  they  were  wild,  or  carried  Indians  on  their 
backs,  I  could  not  determine.  There  were  buffalo 
tracks  here,  also,  in  great  numbers ;  and  I  thought  it 
not  improbable  that  a  party  of  Indians  had  recently 
passed  here  in  pursuit  of  them.  The  ground  here, 


350  THE    BORDER    ROVER 

too,  I  observed,  began  in  a  slight  degree  to  change 
its  character ;  and  looking  carefully  westward,  I  per 
ceived,  with  feelings  of  delight,  that  the  surface  grew 
gradually  rougher,  more  broken,  and  rolling.  I 
pointed  out  the  change  to  Adele,  with  the  observation : 

"  I  think  we  must  be  nearing  the  base  of  the  lower 
range  of  mountains." 

"  We  are — we  are!"  she  cried,  joyfully,  clapping 
her  hands,  and  her  sweet  features  beaming  with  ani 
mation.  "  Look  yonder,  Koland — I  have  just  made 
one  discovery  more — do  you  see  it  ?" 

"  I  do  not — what  is  it  ?"  I  replied,  after  a  quick5 
eager  look  westward. 

"  Do  you  not  see  yonder  mountain  peak  ?" 

"  No !  no !  where  ?  where  ?" 

"  There — yonder — in  the  direction  I  am  pointing — 
do  you  not  see  it  now  ?" 

"No,  I  do  not,  I  am  sorry  to  say." 

"  Do  you  see  anything?" 

"  Ah  1  now  I  see  some  dark  objects  in  the  distance, 
which  appear  to  be  moving — but  it  is  more  reasonable 
to  suppose  them  buffaloes  than  mountains." 

"  No,  no,  Koland— higher— farther." 

"I  see  a  white,  fleecy  cloud,  near  the  horizon." 

"  That  is  it — that  is  it :  it  is  no  cloud :  it  is  the 
snowy  peak  of  one  of  the  Kocky  Mountains." 

"  Are  you  sure,  Adele  ?  Oh,  do  not  let  us  deceive 
ourselves  I" 

"I  am  sure,  dear   Koland — for  I  always  used   to 


THE    WOLVES    OUR    FRIENDS.  351 

see  similar  peaks  after  crossing  the  prairies  toward 
Santa  Fe!" 

"  Heaven  be  praised !  then  we  may  reach  the  lower 
hills  before  night-fall.  Come  I  come  !  I  am  impatient 
now :  let  us  remount  and  press  forward  1" 

"  And  what  shall  we  do  when  we  reach  the  hills  ?" 
inquired  Adele,  despondingly,  as  I  lifted  her  upon 
the  saddle,  and  sprung  up  after  her. 

"  We  may  be  able  to  subsist  on  roots  and  berries, 
till  we  find  some  station,"  was  my  reply,  as  I  started 
our  gallant  beast  forward  at  a  quicker  pace  than 
usual. 

The  sun  by  this  time  had  begun  to  heat  the  dry 
atmosphere,  and  our  long  fast  began  to  cause  us 
unpleasant  sensations.  We  now  began  to  experience 
the  keen  gna wings  of  hunger,  accompanied  with  a 
feeling  of  faintness  and  lassitude,  which  greatly 
depressed  our  spirits,  and  created  serious  apprehen 
sions  that  we  should  not  be  able  to  even  ride  through 
the  heat  of  the  day,  and  might  consequently  be 
compelled  to  pass  another  night  on  the  open  plain. 
But  we  strove  to  cheer  ourselves  with  hope,  and  nerve 
ourselves  with  will ;  and  on  we  dashed,  with  all  the 
speed  which  our  poor  beast  could  sustain. 

Presently  we  perceived,  by  unmistakable  signs,  that 
we  were  approaching  the  borders  of  a  buffalo  range ; 
and  had  I  been  in  possession  of  any  of  my  weapons, 
my  weakened  and  wearied  frame  would  have  been 
strengthened  by  the  certainty  that  we  should  soon  be 
in  possession  of  life-sustaining  food ;  and  even  as  it 


352  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

was,  it  afforded  me  some  consolation  to  hope  that 
some  accident  among  the  herd  might  put  a  portion 
of  a  carcass  at  my  command.  I  knew  that  wolves 
followed  the  buffaloes,  and  killed  the  disabled,  and 
sometimes  the  calves  ;  and  I  thought  it  barely  possible 
we  might  come  upon  the  slaughtered  game,  in  time 
to  frighten  away  the  voracious  destroyers,  and  get 
enough  for  a  single  meal.  The  animals  I  had  seen 
in  the  distance,  proved  indeed  to  be  buffaloes — the 
straggling  members  of  a  large  herd — and  the  first  we 
had  seen  since  the  few  which  had  fled  from  us  the 
morning  previous.  As  we  neared  them,  they  took 
fright,  and  ran  westward ;  and  we  pressed  on  after 
them  keeping  them  in  sight,  till  we  had  the  satisfac 
tion  of  seeing  them  join  the  main  body,  which  grad 
ually  came  into  view,  stretching  away,  north  and 
south,  in  a  long,  unbroken  line,  and  numbering  thou 
sands,  and  hundreds  of  thousands,  and  perhaps 
millions. 

Cheered  by  the  sight,  and  the  hope  of  soon  getting 
possession  of  food,  I  still  urged  on  our  gallant  beast, 
almost  forgetful  of  our  present  sufferings  in  the  anti 
cipation  of  soon  finding  relief  by  some  Providential 
acquisition.  As  we  neared  the  body  of  the  herd ,  which 
was  slowly  moving  southward,  I  eagerly  ran  my  eye 
up  and  down  the  long  line  ;  and  with  a  thrill  of  joy, 
of  which  no  language  can  convey  an  adequate  idea,  I 
soon  perceived,  away  to  the  north,  a  small  band  of 
wolves,  harassing  a  cow  and  her  calf,  which  they  had 
managed  to  separate  from  the  herd,  and  were  now 


THE    WOLVES    OUR    FRIENDS.  853 

trying  to  separate  from  each  other ;  while  she,  turned 
at  bay,  was  eagerly  striving  to  protect  her  young 
and  get  back  to  where  she  would  be  protected  by 
numbers.  Instantly  I  turned  my  horse  in  that  direc 
tion,  but  checked  his  speed,  that  I  might  not  advance 
upon  them  prematurely,  and  thus  destroy  what  might 
possibly  prove  our  salvation.  Gradually  drawing  as 
near  to  the  hungry  wolves  as  I  thought  prudent,  I 
made  a  halt,  and  watched  the  operations  of  the  car 
nivorous  beasts,  and  their  distressed  victims,  with 
such  contending  emotions  of  hope  and  fear  as  kept 
my  poor  brain  in  a  whirl  of  painful  excitement.  Some 
idea  of  our  feelings  may  be  formed,  when  I  state 
that  our  minds  became  gradually  wrought  up  to  such 
a  pitch,  as  to  mentally  stake  our  own  lives  upon  the 
success  of  the  canine  beasts ;  and  although  we  could 
not  but  pity  the  poor  mother,  striving  to  protect  her 
helpless  young,  yet  every  advantage  obtained  by  her 
foes — which,  under  the  circumstances,  we  regarded  as 
friends  to  us — sent  the  quickened  blood,  heated  with 
joy,  to  our  very  hearts. 

"  Oh,  holy  saints,"  prayed  Adele,  "assist  us  in  this 
our  last  extremity  1" 

"  Amen  !"  said  I — "if  the  saints  have  power." 

11  Iff11  exclaimed  Adele,  crossing  herself,  and  turn 
ing  upon  me  a  startled,  reproachful  look:  "do  you 
then  doubt,  Eoland,  that  the  saints  have  power  ?" 

"  I  believe  God  has  the  power,"   I  replied  ;  "but  I 
was  not,  like  you,  educated  in   the  belief  that  the 
saints  have  any  control  over  things  terrestrial." 
21 


354  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Oh,  Roland — I  thought,  till  now,  your  belief  and 
mine  was  the  same." 

"  Will  it  lessen  your  estimation  of  me  to  know  the 
contrary  ?" 

tl  I  cannot  say  now — I  must  think  the  matter  over 
in  a  calmer  moment." 

"  That  is  best,  Adele,"  I  replied ;  "  and  it  is  hardly 
proper  to  enter  into  a  theological  discussion  while  on 
the  point  of  starvation.  You  believe  in  God — so  do 
I ;  and  we  can  in  this  meet  on  equal  grounds,  and 
both  appeal  to  the  Divine  Creator  and  Ruler  of  the 
Universe,  without  either  doing  violence  to  the  educa 
tional  doctrines  of  the  other." 

The  subject,  which  was  not  appropriate  to  the 
occasion,  dropped  here,  and  we  both  directed  our 
attention  to  the  contest,  in  which  we  felt  as  if  our 
lives  were  at  stake.  Never  did  moments  pass  in 
which  I  experienced  more  intense  excitement,  than 
in  watching  the  issue  between  the  poor  buffalo-mother 
and  her  blood-thirsty  foes.  The  former  was  standing 
at  bay,  bellowing  in  her  anger,  fright,  and  despair, 
and  making  desperate  efforts  to  break  through  the 
line  of  her  snarling,  growling  persecutors ;  while  her 
frightened  calf  cowered  tremblingly  behind  and  under 
her,  and  continually  gave  voice  to  its  terror,  in  tones 
to  excite  human,  if  not  brute,  commiseration.  It  was 
clearly  the  design  of  the  wolves  to  separate  the  calf 
from  the  cow;  and  to  accomplish  this,  they  would 
completely  surround  both ;  and  while  those  in  front 
would  arrest  the  attention  of  the  mother  and  draw  an 


THE    WOLVES    OUR    FRIENDS.  855 

attack  upon  themselves,  the  rest  would  fly  at  her 
offspring,  and  bite  it,  and  bewilder  it  with  their 
savage  barks  and  growls ;  and  would  just  be  on  the 
point  of  succeeding  in  their  fell  purpose,  when  the 
devoted  mother  would  suddenly  wheel  upon  them, 
drive  them  back,  and  afford  the  horrified  victim  a 
temporary  relief. 

"It  is  like  a  war  of  mankind — the  many  against 
the  few — the  stronger  against  the  weaker !"  said  I  to 
Adele;  "but  with  this  difference — that  though  the 
stronger  in  both  cases  may  conquer,  and  oppression 
be  triumphant,  man  may  appeal  to  the  higher  tri 
bunal  of  eternity,  and  find  justice  meted  out  to  him 
and  his  persecutors;  while  the  poor  brute  suffers 
without  hope,  or  after  life,  or  future  restoration.  It 
is  my  belief — if  I  may  be  permitted  to  mention  the 
matter  in  this  connection,  dear  Adele — that  each  and 
every  individual  will  receive  equity  in  the  after  life, 
whatever  may  be  his  profession  or  faith 'in  this;  and 
so  he  sin  not  against  the  light  he  has,  and  the  monitor 
within,  all  will  be  well  with  him." 

"I  know  not  that  we  differ  in  this  respect,"  she 
replied.  "  But  see  1  is  not  the  contest  yonder  about 
to  terminate  in  favor  of  the  wolves  ?" 

"It  is  in  truth!"  said  I,  joyfully,  starting  our  horse 
slowly  forward,  to  be  ready  for  the  eventful  moment 
of  victory  to  them  and  us.  "The  poor  mother  grows 
weary — she  must  soon  succumb." 

Scarcely  had  I  uttered  the  words,  when  I  saw 
three  or  four  of  the  fiercest  of  the  wolves  spring 


856  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

between  the  poor  cow  and  her  calf — and  the  next 
moment  the  helpless  victim  was  throttled,  and  borne 
to  the  earth. 

"  Now  is  our  only  chance,"  I  shouted ;  and  in  less 
time  than  it  takes  me  to  record  the  fact,  my  fiery 
steed  was  bearing  down  upon  them  with  all  his  speed. 

The  distance  was  scarcely  more  than  a  good  rifle 
shot,  and  we  fairly  flew  over  the  ground;  but  so 
fierce  and  ravenous  were  these  hungry  beasts  of  prey, 
that  when  we  reached  the  slaughtered  calf,  and  liter 
ally  rode  amongst  its  slayers,  causing  them  to  scatter 
with  fear,  the  body  was  already  torn  open  to  the 
entrails,  and  at  least  one  half  devoured.  One  minute 
later  and  there  would  have  been  nothing  left. 

With  a  wild  cry  of  ecstacy,  I  sprung  from  my 
horse,  seized  the  bleeding  remains,  and  threw  them 
across  the  saddle ;  and  then,  as  the  joyful  truth  thril 
led  us,  that  food  was  once  more  within  our  reach — 
and  that,  for  the  present  at  least,  we  were  saved  from 
the  horrors  of  starvation — our  very  souls  poured  forth 
a  silent  prayer  of  thanksgiving  to  the  Great  Unseen, 
and  tears  of  gratitude  dimmed  our  eyes. 


THE    FAITH    OP    MY    COMPANION.      857 


CHAPTER  XX'V.; 

THE    FAITH    OF    MY    COMPANION. 

BEING  now  in  the  possession  of  food,  our  next 
immediate  want  was  a  fire  by  which  to  cook  it ;  for 
to  devour  it  raw,  with  anything  like  relish,  would 
require  a  still  longer  fast ;  and  besides,  it  now  sud 
denly  occurred  to  me,  that  by  means  of  a  flinty  stone, 
and  a  buckle,  and  some  dry,  tinder-like  grass,  a  fire 
could  be  kindled  without  much  difficulty.  But  the 
place  where  we  were  was  not  the  proper  one  for  try 
ing  the  experiment;  and  so  remounting  my  horse, 
and  disposing  of  the  mutilated  and  bloody  carcass  in 
such  a  manner  that  it  could  be  carried  in  safety, 
without  allowing  any  portion  to  hang  down  in  tempt 
ing  proximity  to  the  hungry  wolves* — which  were 
loping  around  us,  licking  their  chops,  and  growling 
their  displeasure  at  being  so  summarily  robbed  of 
their  hardly  won  treasure — I  urged  the  noble  animal 

*  The  wolf  here  spoken  of,  is  not  of  that  large,  ferocious,  and 
dangerous  species,  which  prowls  about  mostly  in  the  night,  and 
attacks  other  than  non-resistant  animals ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
is  small,  crafty,  and  cowardly ;  and  gains  its  living  by  following  a 
large  herd  of  buffaloes,  and  preying  upon  the  young,  sick  and  dis 
abled.  These  wolves  will  follow  the  hunter,  like  so  many  dogs, 
living  on  wha^  he  leaves  ;  and  will  frequently  enter  the  camp  at 
night,  and  steal  what  they  find  edible,  without  disturbing  the 
sleepers.  They  are,  in  fact,  more  annoying  than  dangerous. 


358  THE    BORDER    ROVER.' 

in  among  the  vast  herd  of  buffaloes,  determined  to 
ride  through  them  rather  than  go  back. 

It  was  an  exciting  passage — that  passage  through 
an  almost  numberless  throng — a  mighty  stream  of 
huge,  living  animals — which  shrunk  back  from  us  in 
terror,  smelling  the  blood  of  their  kind,  and  plunged 
and  bellowed  around  us — and  at  times,  from  their 
movements,  exciting  serious  apprehensions  that  we 
should  be  overthrown,  trampled  upon,  and  crushed. 
In  the  middle  of  this  living  stream,  we  looked  for  a 
glimpse  of  the  distant  prairie ;  but  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  we  saw  nothing  but  a  compact  and 
moving  body  of  animal  life — a  sight  that  was  grand, 
sublime,  and,  in  our  situation,  awful ;  for  should  there 
chance  to  be  a  stampede,  we  knew  our  lives  hung 
upon  a  brittle  thread,  that  might  snap  at  any  moment. 
For  nearly  two  hours  we  struggled  through  this  tre 
mendous  herd,  almost  suffocated  with  dust  and  heat ; 
and  when  we  finally  rode  clear  of  them,  on  the  western 
side,  we  felt  we  had  new  cause  to  be  grateful  for 
another  wonderful  preservation  of  our  lives. 

Fatigued  and  half  famished,  faint  and  thirsty,  we 
now  looked  eagerly  around  for  a  suitable  place  to 
carnp ;  and  it  was  with  feelings  of  delight  we  beheld  a 
charming  little  grove  covering  a  knoll,  or  swell  of 
ground,  about  half  a  mile)  distant,  with  a  clear,  tiny 
stream  of  water  flowing  along  at  its  base.  We  were 
not  long  in  reaching  this  delightful  spot ;  and  remov 
ing  saddle  and  bridle  from  our  noble  brute,  I  hoppled 
and  turned  him  loose,  that  he  might  rest  and  regale 


THE    FAITH    OF    MY    COMPANION.       359 

himself  on  the  sweet,  nutritious  grass  that  grew  beneath 
the  shadow  of  the  trees.  In  the  bed  of  the  brook,  I 
found  a  pebble  to  answer  my  purpose ;  and  collecting 
some  tinder-like  grass,  I  was  soon  trying  an  important 
experiment  with  a  large  buckle.  For  five  minutes  I 
labored  in  vain,  in  my  attempt  to  kindle  the  dry 
grass ;  but  at  last  a  spark  caught,  which  I  hurriedly 
blew  to  a  flame ;  and  while  Adele  applied  some  dry 
twigs  and  sticks,  I  jumped  up  and  fairly  danced  with 
rapture. 

"  At  last,  dear  Koland,"  cried  Adele,  clapping  her 
hands  for  joy,  "  we  have  all  that  we  have  prayed 
for." 

"Thank  God,  I  feel  that  we  shall  be  saved!"  re 
turned  I,  as  I  plunged  my  fingers  into  the  tender  part 
of  the  mutilated  calf,  and  tore  out  a  portion  of  the 
tempting  flesh.  "  Here,  Adele,"  I  continued,  "  spit 
this  with  a  stick,  and  broil  and  eat  before  you  faint  1" 

I  tore  out  another  piece  for  myself;  and  the  next 
moment  the  two  ungainly  lumps  were  hissing  and 
sissling  in  the  crackling  flame.  The  instant  the 
savory  smell  touched  our  olfactory  nerves,  our  appe 
tites  grew  so  keen,  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  longer 
resist  the  demands  of  nature ;  and  yielding  to  our 
desires,  we  eagerly  began  to  devour  the  half  broiled 
flesh.  Never  before  had  I  tasted  food  to  compare 
with  that ;  never  before  had  I  known  the  real  enjoy 
ment  of  eating ;  and  we  ate  and  broiled,  and  broiled 
and  ate,  till  pound  after  pound  had  disappeared,  and 
an  hour  had  been  consumed  in  supplying  the  cravings 


860  THE    BORDER    ROVER, 

of  nature.  At  last  we  drew  back,  satisfied,  and  felt 
that  we  had  taken  a  new  lease  of  life. 

So  intently  had  we  been  engaged  with  our  plain, 
but  wholesome  repast,  that,  up  to  the  moment  of  our 
hunger  being  appeased,  our  minds  had  been  occupied 
with  nothing  more  intellectual  than  a  consideration 
of  the  adaptedness  of  fresh  meat  to  fill  the  vacuum 
caused  by  fasting,  and  the  conviction  that  man  is  at 
least  half  animal,  and  that  a  famishing  human  being 
may  sink  down  to  only  one  remove  from  the  brute  be 
low  him ;  but  having  ate  our  fill,  we  proceeded  to  take 
a  survey  of  the  scene  around  us,  and  turn  our 
thoughts  once  more  upon  the  future. 

The  little  knoll  on  which  we  were  now  located,  was 
one  proof,  out  of  many,  that  we  were  entering  upon 
a  tract  of  country  materially  differing  from  the  great 
arid  desert  over  which  we  had  passed ;  and  looking 
toward  the  west,  we  saw,  with  delight,  that  though 
the  general  aspect  of  the  ground  was  level  for  a 
great  distance,  the  surface  had  begun  to  exhibit  a 
wave-like  roll,  indicating  our  approach  to  a  still  more 
uneven  and  hilly  country;  while  here  and  there 
could  be  seen  bushy  and  timbered  hillocks,  and  the 
grass  had  a  broader  and  taller  spire,  and,  if  not  a 
greener,  at  least  a  less  parched  and  withered  hue. 
There  was  also  animal  life  upon  the  scene;  for 
besides  the  immense  herd  of  buffaloes,  through  which 
we  had  forced  our  way  to  the  peril  of  our  lives, 
several  straggling  members  of  the  great  body  could  be 
seen  in  all  directions,  with  here  and  there  the  light- 


THE    FAITH    OF    MY    COMPANION.      361 

footed  deer,  and  timid  antelope,  and  bands  of  ravenous 
wolves,  prowling  around  with  watchful  eyes  and 
cowardly  hearts,  ready  to  attack  where  they  might 
hope  of  success  without  fear  of  perilous  defeat.  The 
day,  too,  as  well  as  the  country,  was  growing  more  in 
our  favor ;  for  the  atmosphere  had  begun  to  thicken, 
and  fleecy  clouds  were  floating  up  from  the  west  with 
a  cooling  breeze,  and  were  ever  and  anon  drawing  a 
temporary  veil  between  the  earth  and  the  scorching 
rays  of  a  mid-day  summer  sun. 

"  Well,  my  dear  Adele,"  said  I,  "  what  chance  have 
we  now,  do  you  think,  of  reaching  the  mountains  in 
safety?" 

"The  best,  my  dear  friend,"  she  replied,  with  ani 
mation  ;  "  and  if  I  could  feel  assured  that  reaching 
the  mountains  would  put  us  beyond  danger,  I  should 
rejoice  in  the  thought  that  our  troubles  are  drawing 
to  a  close." 

"  We  cannot  know  what  is  before  us,  it  is  true," 
I  said ;  "  but  if  we  may  augur  from  the  past  what  the 
future  will  be,  we  can  go  on  our  way  rejoicing." 

"  We  have  been  wonderfully  favored  and  pre 
served,  all  things  being  considered,"  she  solemnly 
rejoined ;  "  and  God,  who  sees  the  heart,  knows  that 
mine  is  overflowing  with  gratitude.  Oh,  Koland," 
she  continued,  earnestly,  "  I  would  that  you  believed 
as  I  do ;  for  it  is  such  a  consolation  in  times  of  peril, 
to  know  that  we  are  surrounded  by  sympathizing, 
though  invisible,  friends,  who  have  already  passed 
the  narrow  bounds  which  separate  time  from  eternity  ; 


362  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

and  who  are  not  only  sympathizing  with  us,  but 
endeavoring  to  impress  upon  our  minds  such  hope  to 
cheer,  and  such  knowledge  to  relieve,  as  they,  looking 
beyond  mortal  view,  may  discover;  and  who  not 
only  sorrow  with  us  in  our  sorrow,  but  also  rejoice 
with  us  in  our  joy,  as  I  feel  they  do  now !  With  all 
due  reverence  for  the  Great  Supreme — who  is  Lord 
and  Euler  of  all  on  earth,  and  beyond  earth,  in  the 
material  and  spiritual  world,  in  time  and  eternity — I 
still  feel  that  I  am  as  much  justified  in  praying  to 
his  ministering  spirits  for  temporal  aid,  and  returning 
thanks  to  them  for  the  aid  thus  rendered,  as  I  would 
be  in  calling  upon  you,  or  any  other  mortal,  and 
returning  thanks  for  your  assistance." 

"  And  you  really  believe  that  the  spirits  of  the 
departed  hover  about  you,  and  hear  your  prayers, 
and  render  you  assistance  ?"  said  I. 

"  I  do  solemnly  believe,"  she  earnestly  replied, 
"  that  the  spirits  of  our  departed  friends  are  at  times 
hovering  around  us ;  that  at  such  times  they  know 
our  wants  and  hear  our  prayers;  that  they  do  then 
render  us  all  the  aid  in  their  power,  by  impressing  us 
to  do  what  will  prove  most  advantageous  to  ourselves 
under  the  existing  circumstances.  Have  you  never 
felt,  in  moments  of  despondency,  almost  despair,  as 
if  you  knew  all  would  be  well  ?" 

"  I  have,  I  can  truly  say." 

"  Have  you  never,  in  moments  of  difficulty,  had  a 
sudden  thought  flash  upon  you,  that  came  not 


THE    FAITH    OF    MY    COMPANION.      363 

through  any  known  train  of  reasoning,  of  a  means 
by  which  the  difficulty  could  be  removed  ?" 

"I  have — but  I  think  that  was  instinct." 

"And  pray  what  is  instinct?"  she  quickly  de 
manded,  her  beautiful  features  lighting  up  with  an 
intellectual  flash  that  I  had  never  seen  displayed 
there  before.  "  What  is  instinct,  pray  tell  me  ?" 

"  That  intuitive  faculty  by  which  the  lower  ani 
mals,  and  sometimes  man,  arrive  at  a  truth  of  the 
greatest  importance  to  the  occasion,  without  any 
previous  thought." 

"  And  whence  comes  that  intuition  of  truth,  if  not 
from  a  superior  intelligence  ?" 

"God  is  a  superior  intelligence,  it  is  true." 

"  All  life  and  truth  comes  from  God,  I  grant ;  but 
there  must  be  a  channel,  or  intermediate  means, 
through  which  He  acts  upon  a  creature ;  and  why 
may  not  this  channel,  or  means,  be  an  intelligence 
inferior  to  Him,  but  superior  to  us?" 

"  That  it  may  be  so,  I  do  not  deny,  dear  Adele; 
but  it  does  not  follow  I  should  believe  it  is  so,  simply 
because  I  cannot  prove  the  contrary." 

"  I  would  you  did  believe  so,  dear  Roland ;  but 
belief  itself,  is,  in  one  sense,  this  instinct,  or  intuitive 
knowledge,  and  cannot  be  commanded  by  either 
reason,  will,  or  desire.  Yet,  if  we  earnestly  pray  for 
the  truth,  we  put  ourselves  in  a  condition  to  receive 
it.  Pray  for  an  inflow  of  truth,  Roland !" 

"I  always  have  done  so,  dear  Adele;  but  my 
prayers  have  always  been  directed  to  the  Fountain 


364  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

of  Truth ;  and  in  that  I  feel  I  have  not  erred ;  for  if 
I  am  reached  by  any  means,  those  means  are  under 
Almighty  control." 

"  You  do  not  err  in  this,  dear  Eoland  ;  nor  do  I 
think  I  err  in  appealing  both  to  Him  and  His  minis 
tering  spirits ;  but  I  think  I  receive  a  consolation  in 
my  faith  which  you  do  not." 

"  In  what  respect  ?" 

"  Because  we  cannot  conceive  of  God,  and  there 
fore  cannot  realize  His  presence  in  a  human  form, 
with  human  sympathy,  as  we  can  conceive  and  real 
ize  the  presence  of  departed  spirits,  who  were  once 
human,  with  all  the  human  frailties  which  we  pos 
sess.  Those  nearest  like  us,  must,  in  the  nature  of 
things,  be  in  most  direct  affinity  or  sympathy  with  us." 

"  Your  belief,  I  doubt  not,  is,  in  some  respects,  a 
happy  one,  whatever  else  may  be  said  of  it." 

"  You  say  in  some  respects,  dear  Koland — is  it  not 
in  all?" 

"  Why,  to  my  mind,  there  is  this  drawback.  If 
you  believe  in  the  return  of  departed  spirits,  you 
must  believe  in  the  return  of  both  good  and  evil  1" 

"Well?" 

"  Well,  admitting  that,  you  must  also  admit,  that 
while  the  good  would  strive  to  do  you  good,  the  evil 
would  strive  to  do  you  evil !" 

"  So  much  the  more  need  of  keeping  the  heart 
pure,  and  striving,  through  good,  to  overcome  evil — 
for  evil  cannot  mingle  with  good,  any  more  than  oil 
with  water.  This  is  our  necessity — to  strive  against 


THE    FAITH    OF    MY    COMPANION.       365 

evil  influence  or  temptation  ;  and  you  know,  from 
your  own  experience,  that  there  are  moments  when 
we  are  thrilled  with  a  holy  influence,  and  moments 
when  we  are  thrilled  with  an  influence  that  is  not 
holy — the  one  filling  our  souls  with  joy,  the  other 
with  gloom." 

"Yes,  I  have  experienced  both  sensations." 
"  Then  we  only  differ  as  to  the  cause." 
"  You  think  both  proceed  from  surrounding  spirits  ?" 
"  I  do,  to  a  great  extent.     And  what  cause  do  you 
assign  for  these  different  impressions,  dear  Eoland  ?" 
"  I    have   never   assigned   any,   because   I    never 
thought  on  the  subject  before,"  I  replied,  giving  way 
to  reflection. 

The  whole  idea  was  new  to  me,  and  deeply  interest 
ing;  and  I  was  surprised  to  discover  so  much  intel 
lectual  strength  in  one,  whom,  notwithstanding  my 
attachment,  I  had  supposed  to  possess  a  mind  not  supe 
rior  to  girls  in  general  of  her  own  age.  Yet  on  every 
ground  taken  by  her,  there  was  logic  and  philosophy 
for  me  to  combat;  and  I  secretly  acknowledged, 
that  in  metaphysics,  so  far  at  least  as  her  own  faith 
was  concerned,  she  was  my  equal,  if  not  superior  ;  and 
it  may  reasonably  be  inferred  I  did  not  love  her  the 
less  on  this  account.  It  was  like  discovering  a  mine 
of  gold  where  one  had  been  looking  only  for  silver. 
After  a  pause,  of  perhaps  a  minute,  I  resumed : 

"  If  we  are  surrounded  by  spirits  of  departed  friends, 
and  others  who  once  lived  in  the  flesh,  it  is  fair  to 
presume  that  all  mankind  are  ;  and  yet  for  every  one 


THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

impressed  with  an  advantageous  truth,  or  idea,  in  a  caso 
of  emergency,  I  think  I  can  find  twenty,  at  least,  who 
are  not  extricated  from  difficulty  by  any  cause  but 
self-possession,  and  deliberate  calculation,  drawn  from 
a  natural  course  of  reasoning — or  perhaps  simply 
through  an  experiment  suggested  at  the  moment  by 
the  circumstances  in  which  they  are  placed ;  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  failures  are  innumerable — even, 
when  they  try  an  experiment  that  they  thought  right 
at  the  time,  but  afterward  know  to  have  been  de 
cidedly  wrong — thus  giving  evidence,  that  the  idea, 
thought,  or  suggestion,  or  whatever  you  may  call  it, 
originated  with,  and  was  confined  to,  themselves — 
coming  from  no  superior  intelligence,  that  would  have 
known  the  right.  Suppose,  for  illustration,  that  a 
vessel  spring  a  leak  in  a  dark  night,  near  a  strand  of 
which  the  commander  has  no  knowledge;  there  are  a 
hundred  chances  to  one,  that  he  will  not  take  the  right 
course  to  reach  the  particular  point  where  his  life 
might  be  saved ;  or  even  if  he  do  reach  it  accidentally, 
that  some  of  the  passengers  will  have  jumped  over 
board  in  fright ;  and  this  I  contend  would  not  happen, 
if  these  good,  though  invisible,  intelligences  were 
around,  and  had  the  power  to  impress  the  terrified 
mortals  with  a  fact,  which,  under  the  circumstances, 
would,  by  your  showing,  be  known  to  them." 

"  You  seem  determined  to  annihilate  the  spirits," 
laughed  Adele. 

"Say,  rather,  I   am   determined   to   maintain   the 
ground  that  there  are  none  present,  who  have  the  will 


THE    FAITH    OF    MY    COMPANION.       367 

and  the  power  to  influence  mortals.  Come — do  you 
thus  relinquish  your  position  ?" 

"By  no  means,  sir!  and  I  will  now  attempt  to 
answer  you;  but  if  I  fail  to  do  so,  satisfactorily, 
attribute  it  to  my  own  mental  dificiency,  rather  than 
assume  that  my  position  cannot  be  sustained — or  that 
spirits  are  not  present — or  if  present,  that  they  have 
not  the  will  or  power  to  impress  those  who  are  in  a 
receptive  condition." 

"  Taking  you  on  your  own  ground,"  returned  I, 
laughing,  "  if  I  vanquish  you,  I  shall  consider  I  have 
vanquished  both  you  and  the  spirits,  or  spiritual 
philosophy — since,  if  spirits  are  present,  and  can 
impress  receptive  individuals — of  which  I  hold  you 
to  be  one — they  are  bound  to  prove  their  presence  by 
convincing  argument  through  you." 

"The  power  of  convincing  belongs  neither  to 
spirit  nor  mortal,  but  depends  on  the  condition  of  the 
hearer  to  perceive  the  truth  when  uttered,"  said 
Adele. 

''Let  the  spirits  then  impress  both,"  laughed  I; 
"you  to  utter  the  truth,  and  me  to  receive  it  as  such." 

"Very  well,  sir.  To  begin  then,  I  might  first 
inquire  what  is  the  cause  of  that  self-possession,  which 
you  have  brought  forward  as  the  cause  of  other 
effects?" 

"And  I  might  reply,  a  strong  nerve,  and  a  cool 
brain — or  a  general  organization  that  cannot  be 
daunted  by  clanger— and  which  allows  the  possessor 


368  THE    BOEDEE    EOVEE. 

to  reason  and  act  as  he  would  direct  others  to  reason 
and  act  if  an  unconcerned  spectator  himself." 

"  Well,  you  spoke  of  an  experiment  being  suggested 
at  the  moment — by  what,  pray  ?" 

"  By  his  own  brain,  most  assuredly — influenced,  as 
it  would  naturally  be,  by  the  circumstances  in  which 
he  was  placed  at  the  time." 

"  But  might  not  the  suggestion  of  that  experiment 
be  the  work  of  spirits?" 

"But  I  showed  that  the  experiment  often  failed — 
which  would  prove  that  the  spirits  are  often  false 
directors,  and  not  to  be  relied  on." 

Adele  colored,  and  grew  confused. 

"  I  do  not  know  as  I  shall  be  able  to  convince  you 
of  what  I  believe  to  be  a  truth,"  she  said,  reluctantly. 

"  You  believe  it,  because  it  is  a  part  of  your  educa 
tion,"  I  rejoined.  "  Had  I  been  educated  like  you, 
and  you  like  me,  we  might  now  be  arguing  upon  the 
same  subject — but  inversely — I  maintaining,  and  you 
denying,  the  spiritual  hypothesis." 

"  True,  that  might  be — and  yet  the  facts  would  not 
be  altered !"  she  said,  reflectively.  "  Education  has 
much  to  do  with  our  belief,  I  know ;  and  therefore,  in 
matters  of  this  nature,  it  is  important  that  the  child 
receive  instruction  in  the  true  faith." 

"Granted — but  which  is  the  true  faith?  Take  a 
dozen  creeds,  and  each  will  have  zealous  supporters, 
and  each  will  be  set  up  by  its  believers  as  the  true, 
and  all  others  will  be  declared  false  or  erroneous." 

"  But  I  have  not  yet  done  with  our  spiritual  discus- 


THE    FAITH    OF    MY    COMPANION.       369 

sion,"  she  pursued.  "  Grant  that  my  spiritual  belief 
be  true — and  if  I  cannot  prove,  you  certainly  cannot 
disprove  it, — grant  it  be  true,  I  say,  it  naturally  fol 
lows  that  the  pure  and  good  would  attract  pure  and 
good  spirits;  that  those  who  believe  in,  and  desire, 
spiritual  communion,  would  be  most  likely  to  draw 
around  them  their  spiritual  friends,  and  be  in  a  condi 
tion  to  receive  spiritual  impressions ;  so  that,  in  order 
to  hold  the  ground  taken  by  you  in  your  illustrative 
argument  of  the  vessel,  you  must  prove  that  those  on 
board  were  in  a  proper  state  of  mind  to  attract  good 
spirits,  and  be  influenced  by  them ;  for  if  you  admit 
that  they  might  attract  the  evil  disposed,  it  naturally 
follows  that,  if  impressed  at  all,  it  would  be  to  their 
injury." 

"  You  maintain  your  position  very  well,"  said  I, 
( '  and  I  give  you  credit  for  it,  even  though  I  may  not 
be  convinced  of  its  truth.  But  how  are  we  poor  mor 
tals  to  keep  good  spirits  in  attendance,  since  both  good 
and  bad  have  access  to  us  ?" 

"  By  living  uprightly,  with  pure  motives  and  a 
clear  conscience,  and  -calling  on  them  to  assist  us  in 
our  need,  and  sustain  us  in  our  faith  and  trust." 

"  But  why  do  you  pray  to  the  saints,  and  not  to 
particular  friends  you  have  known  on  earth  ?" 

"  Because  the  saints  have  been  justified  and  made 
perfect,  and  we  would  call  around  us  the  good  and 
pure." 

"Well,"  said  I,  "yours  is  a  happy  belief  at  all 
events,  and  I  would  not  have  you  change  it  for  one 
22 


370  THE    BOEDER    KOVEE. 

more  gross  and  material.  You  cannot  be  far  from 
right,  whether  you  err  in  the  special  fact  or  not; 
for  whatever  teaches  us  to  live  uprightly,  with  pure 
and  holy  aspirations,  is  of  heavenly  origin.  But 
who  taught  you  to  support  your  belief,  or  religion, 
by  argument  ?  since  I  have  always  understood,  that 
Eoman  Catholics  were  bound  to  receive  their  faith, 
through  faith,  without  any  attempt  to  justify  it  by 
reason." 

"The  communion  of  saints,  and  a  belief  in  the 
presence  of  departed  spirits,  is  one  of  the  cardinal 
doctrines  of  our  church,  which  I  was  taught  in  the 
convent  of  Santa  Maria;  and  for  the  rest,  if  you 
think  I  have  sustained  my  position  with  more  than 
my  natural  abilities,  which  are  not  many,  then  re 
ceive  it  as  a  proof  that  I  have  been  assisted  by  my 
spiritual  friends,  who  are  now  hovering  about  us !" 
she  replied,  with  a  smile. 

"  You  have  led  a  lonely  life,  my  dear  Adele,  and 
have  been  much  alone  with  your  thoughts ;  and  you 
have  thus  thought  deeply,  meditatively,  reflectively; 
even  beyond  your  years,"  I  rejoined:  "I  shall  there 
fore  give  you,  not  the  spirits,  credit  for  all  you  have 
said,  which  I  frankly  admit  is  above  the  mental  capa 
city  at  which  I  had  rated  you." 

Adele  was  about  to  make  a  rejoinder,  when  she 
suddenly  started,  turned  pale,  and  pointing  to  the 
north,  exclaimed: 

•"  Look  yonder,  Eoland  !  look  yonder  1" 

I  turned  quickly,  and  beheld,  in  the  distance,  a 


SURROUNDED     BY    PERILS.  371 

great  commotion  among  the  buffaloes,  which  seemed 
to  be  pressing  forward  toward  the  south  —  those 
behind  communicating  alarm  to  those  in  front,  which 
in  turn  communicated  alarm  to  those  before  them — the 
panic  rapidly  extending  down  the  long  line  in  our 
direction. 

"It  is  the  beginning  of  a  terrible  stampede!"  cried 
I:  "  doubtless  there  are  Indians  behind!  "We  must 
mount,  and  fly  for  our  lives  I" 


CHAPTEK  XXVI. 

SURROUNDED  BY  PERILS. 

I  RAN  to  my  horse,  which  I  caught  without  diffi 
culty,  and  scarcely  a  minute  elapsed  before  I  had  him 
bridled  and  saddled.  I  then  hurried  him  to  the  water ; 
and  while  he  drank,  we  drank  also,  that  we  might  not 
suffer  from  thirst,  as  on  the  day  previous.  Then  lift 
ing  Adele  upon  the  saddle,  and  securing  the  remains 
of  our  game,  I  sprung  upon  his  back,  and  dashed  away 
toward  the  west,  bidding  Adele  keep  an  eye  on  the 
point  whence  we  had  reason  to  apprehend  the  appear 
ance  of  an  enemy,  while  I  watched  the  ground  before 
me  and  guided  the  swift-footed  beast  over  the  now 
uneven  surface.  Occasionally  I  glanced  back,  to 
observe  the  progress  of  the  panic  among  the  immense 
herd;  which,  as  it  came  sweeping  down  the  long  line 
• — the  cause  in  one  sense  being  invisible — reminded 


372  THE    BORDEK    ROVER. 

me  of  a  fierce  storm,  as  it  begins  to  roll  over  a  mighty 
field  of  standing  grain,  its  velocity  being  marked  by 
its  rapidly  communicating  commotion.  As  we  sped 
on,  the  deer  and  antelope  took  flight,  the  wolves  fled 
away  howling,  and  the  huge,  straggling  buffaloes 
snuffed  the  tainted  air,  threw  up  their  tails,  and  bel 
lowed,  and  began  to  plunge  in  toward  the  main  body, 
to  join  in  the  terrific  race. 

"Had  this  happened  a  couple  of  hours  sooner,  we 
should  have  been  lost/'  said  I  to  Adele,  as  I  tightened 
my  arm  around  her  slender  waist,  and  drew  her  closer 
to  my  heart. 

"  Oh  !  I  shudder  to  think  of  it  1"  she  replied,  with 
nervous  trembling.  "But  we  are  by  no  means  safe 
even  now/'  she  continued.  "  See !  yonder  they  come 
— a  band  of  horrible  savages.  Oh !  pray  Heaven  they 
do  not  see  us !" 

I  looked  to  the  north,  and,  far  away  in  the  dim  dis 
tance,  beheld  one  horseman  after  another  come  into 
view,  each  plunging  furiously  forward  in  the  exciting 
chase,  and  all  evidently  hard  at  work  in  the  slaughter 
of  the  unfortunate  buffaloes  in  their  immediate 
vicinity.  How  many  savages  there  were,  I  had  no 
means  of  knowing ;  but  my  eyes  rested  upon  more 
than  a  hundred,  ere  I  dashed  through  a  cluster  of 
trees  and  undergrowth,  upon  a  swell  of  the  prairie, 
and  descended  into  a  long,  low  swale,  or  scoup  of 
ground,  which  completely  shut  them  from  my  view. 
By  this  time  the  great  herd  was  in  motion,  far  below 
the  point  where  we  had  passed  through  it ;  and  as  I 


SURROUNDED    BY    PERILS.  373 

now  somewhat  slackened  the  speed  of  our  horse,  we 
caught  at  intervals  the  sound  of  the  rushing  body, 
like  distant  thunder,  or  the  solemn,  monotonous  roar 
of  a  mighty  cataract. 

"  Do  you  think  the  savages  have  seen  us  ?"  inquired 
Adele,  in  a  tone  of  anxiety. 

"  It  is  possible  they  may  have  done  so,"  I  replied ; 
"for  very  little  within  the  range  of  their  vision 
escapes  their  observation ;  but  I  do  not  think  we  have 
reason  to  be  alarmed ;  for  they  are  too  eagerly  en 
gaged  in  their  present  pursuit  to  give  chase  to  a 
mounted  party,  whom  they  could  not  reasonably 
expect  to  overtake." 

"  Still  I  hope  they  did  not  see  us,"  she  said,  unea 
sily;  "for  there  might  be  some  who  would  follow  on 
our  trail  for  the  mere  love  of  adventure,  or  for  the 
purpose  of  ultimately  returning  in  triumph  with  the 
scalp  of  a  foe  as  a  proof  of  prowess." 

"  But  at  that  distance  they  might  not  be  able  to 
distinguish  us  from  their  own  race." 

"  Even  that  might  make  no  difference,  as  most  of 
the  tribes  are  at  war  with  each  other,  and  they  would 
know  with  certainty  that  we  do  not  belong  to  their 
particular  nation." 

"  Have  you  an  impression,  dear  Adele,"  I  inquired, 
"that  renders  you  so  apprehensive  of  danger?" 

"I  at  least  have  sad  misgivings,  dear  Eoland,  that 
our  troubles  are  not  over." 

We  now  rode  in  silence  for  some  minutes,  when  we 
again  rose  upon  a  higher  swell  of  the  prairie,  which 


374  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

afforded  us  a  distant  view  of  our  natural  enemies,  who 
were  apparently  all  busy  among  the  fright-maddened 
buffaloes — though  the  chase  had  now  led  them  from 
the  point  at  the  north,  where  we  first  discovered  them, 
nearly  to  the  line  of  our  trail. 

"  They  have  not  seen  us,"  said  I,  with  a  feeling  of 
relief ;  "  or,  if  so,  they  have  evidently  no  intention  of 
pursuing  us." 

"  Ha  I  look  again  I"  cried  Adele,  the  next  moment. 

I  did  so,  and  thought  I  could  preceive  a  small  party 
riding  out  from  the  rest,  and  darting  away  toward  us, 
though  an  intervening  rise  of  ground  soon  hid  them 
from  our  sight.  Whether  their  object  was  to  pursue 
us  or  not,  I  could  not  tell,  and  did  not  think  it  prudent 
to  wait  to  ascertain.  The  distance  between  us,  to  the 
best  of  my  judgment,  could  not  be  less  than  four  or 
five  miles — a  start  that  would  save  us  in  a  dead  race, 
provided  our  horse  could  hold  out  and  we  meet  with 
no  accident. 

"  Come,  noble  brute,"  said  I,  tightening  the  bridle 
rein,  "  you  saved  us  once  in  a  fearful  race,  and  you 
must  do  it  again." 

As  I  spoke,  I  struck  him  on  the  flank,  he  bounded 
forward,  and  the  next  moment  we  were  descending 
the  slope,  and  rushing  through  the  swale  with  light 
ning  speed.  On,  on  we  sped,  rising  on  the  waves  of 
the  prairie,  and  sinking  in  the  hollows,  like  a  vessel 
steering  across  the  billows  of  the  mighty  deep.  On, 
on  we  sped,  startling  the  game,  which  fled  from  us  in 
all  directions,  and  scaring  the  feathered  tribe,  which 


SURROUNDED    BY    PERILS.  375' 

flew  upward,  and  sometimes  circled  round  us,  uttering 
their  discordant  cries  of  anger  and  fear.  On,  on  we 
sped,  looking  fearfully  back  when  opportunity  pre 
sented,  but  gladly  looking  in  vain  for  a  glimpse  of 
those  we  fancied  might  be  our  pursuers.  On,  on  we 
sped,  till  our  gallant  steed,  already  covered  with  foam, 
began  to  pant,  and  slacken  his  pace,  and  tread  unstea 
dily ;  when,  warned  by  these  unmistakable  signs,  that, 
without  rest,  he  would  soon  be  a  victim  in  our  cause, 
I  checked  his  speed,  and  finally  brought  him  to  a  halt 
on  the  summit  of  a  rocky,  bush-covered  ridge ;  which, 
being  still  higher  than  any  one  of  the  swells  we  had 
passed,  commanded  a  view  of  the  country  to  the  east 
ward  for  ten  or  fifteen,  and  perhaps  even  twenty, 
miles. 

We  now  dismounted,  to  relieve  the  noble  animal  of 
his  heavy  burden  ;  and  while  Adele  clambered  up  a 
high,  steep  rock,  to  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  our 
foes,  I  led  the  panting,  drooping,  and  trembling  beast 
about  by  the  bridle,  that  his  overheated  blood  might 
not  cool  too  suddenly.  The  character  of  the  country 
had  changed  materially  during  our  last  ride,  and 
even  within  the  last  hour.  The  wave-like  swells 
rolled  off  to  the  eastward,  in  a  succession  of  gentle 
imdulations ;  but  from  our  present  elevation,  we 
could  look  far  enough  away  to  perceive  that  we  had 
gradually  been  rising,  and  that  we  now  stood  at  least 
a  thousand  feet  above  the  point  where  we  had  broken 
our  fast;  while,  to  the  westward,  the  eye  rested  upon 
a  still  more  undulating  and  even  hilly  country,  with 


376  THE    BOEDER    EOVER. 

several  white  peaks  in  the  distant  view,  and  a  dim, 
long,  narrow,  rugged  line  at  their  base,  which  we 
hailed  with  delight,  as  the  summit  of  one  of  the  lower 
ranges  of  the  Kocky  Mountains.  The  breeze,  which 
still  blew  from  the  west,  had  a  cool,  invigorating 
effect ;  and  we  knew  it  had  passed  the  region  of  eter 
nal  ice  and  snow,  and  been  tempered  with  the  freez 
ing  airs  of  those  lofty  and  desolate  heights. 

"  We  are  nearing  the  mountains  rapidly,"  said  I ; 
"but  the  sun  is  far  on  the  decline,  and  we  shall  hardly 
reach  them  to-day." 

"  Will  our  poor  beast  be  able  to  take  us  any 
further  to-day  ?"  inquired  Adele,  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  I  think  we  may  soon  resume  our  journey — 
but  we  shall  be  compelled  to  ride  slowly — for  our 
horse  has  been  taxed  beyond  his  strength." 

We  rested  here  for  an  hour,  keeping  a  sharp  look 
out  for  any  sign  indicating  danger;  but  not  seeing 
anything  during  that  time  to  create  fresh  alarm,  we 
resumed  our  journey  at  a  moderate  pace.  Some  five 
miles  further  on,  we  came  to  a  suitable  place  for  a 
night's  encampment;  and  as  the  sun  was  by  this  time 
within  an  hour  of  the  horizon,  and  our  horse  much 
fatigued,  we  resolved  to  remain  here  till  another  day. 
Moreover,  the  spot  we  had  pitched  upon  had  some 
advantages,  both  in  the  way  of  convenience  and 
security,  which  we  might  be  unable  to  find  further 
on.  A  small  stream  of  clear  water  flowed  through  a 
fertile  valley;  and  not  far  distant  was  a  steep,  conical 
hill,  surmounted  by  trees,  among  whose  tangled 


SURROUNDED    BY    PERILS.  377 

branches  it  struck  me  we  could,  by  a  little  contri 
vance,  pass  the  night  in  safety.  To  effect  this,  I 
immediately  set  to  work;  and  by  means  of  the  sad 
dle  and  bridle,  including  all  the  straps  not  required 
to  hopple  and  tether  our  beast,  I  had  by  sunset 
constructed  a  comfortable  sitting  and  even  sleeping 
place,  among  the  interlocking  branches  of  the  trees, 
where  we  should  at  least  be  safe  from  the  attack  of 
wild  beasts,  and  run  less  risk,  we  fancied,  of  being 
discovered  by  any  chance  prowlers  of  the  human 
species.  As  we  had  eaten  so  heartily  in  the  middle 
of  the  day,  we  decided  not  to  cook  our  meat  before 
morning ;  and  then  to  broil  or  roast  the  remainder  of 
it,  in  order  to  preserve  it  without  taint,  till  our  appe 
tites  should  demand  the  whole,  which  would  proba 
bly  occur  before  another  sunset. 

As  the  sun  went  down,  even  though  shaded  by 
clouds,  it  threw  the  mountains  into  bold  relief;  and 
we  could  distinctly  trace  the  uneven  edges  of  the 
snowy  peaks  against  the  darker  background,  show 
ing  we  had  reached  such  a  proximity  that  every 
mile  would  bring  us  nearer  in  perception  as  well  as 
reality.  I  assisted  Adele  to  mount  to  what  I  face 
tiously  termed  her  hammock  ;  and  having  sprung  up 
after  her,  we  sat  and  conversed  in  low  tones,  and 
listened  to  the  plaintive  notes  of  a  neighbouring 
whippoorwill,  the  booming  of  the  nighthawk,  the 
shrill  screeches  of  the  owl,  and  the  various  chirp 
ings  of  different  insects,  while  we  watched  the  gra 
dual  blending  of  the  day  with  night,  till  the  deepest 


378  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

shadow  had  beep,  drawn  over  the  face  of  the  sur 
rounding  scene.  We  now  thought  it  safer  to  remain 
perfectly  quiet  and  silent — or,  if  we  spoke  at  all,  to 
converse  in  low  whispers.  One  cannot  long  remain 
silent  and  inactive,  under  cover  of  night,  after  a  day 
of  unusual  fatigue,  without  experiencing  feelings  of 
somnolency;  and  notwithstanding  the  night-breeze 
felt  quite  chilly,  as  it  pressed  through  the  openings 
of  the  trees,  it  rustled  the  leaves  to  a  drowsy  tune; 
and  before  either  of  us  was  aware  that  sleep  was 
fairly  stealing  upon  us,  we  were  lost  to  a  conscious 
ness  of  external  things. 

We  were  both  suddenly  awakened  by  fierce  growls 
and  howls,  sounding  so  near  as  to  cause  the  greatest 
alarm;  and  had  I  not  at  the  instant  put  forth  my 
hand  and  caught  hold  of  Adele,  who  was  trembling 
like  an  aspen,  I  think  she  would  have  fallen  to  the 
ground.  The  night  was  now  intensely  dark — the 
floating  clouds  having  joined,  so  as  to  spread  a  thick 
veil  between  us  and  the  heavens — and,  from  our  leafy 
covering,  we  could  literally  see  nothing. 

"  God  and  the  holy  saints  preserve  us!"  cried  Adele, 
grasping  my  hand  nervously.  "Oh!  dear  Eoland, 
what  is  it?  what  has  happened?  what  new  and  ter 
rible  danger  threatens  us  ?" 

Her  voice  was  almost  drowned  by  a  furious  snarl 
ing,  growling,  and  howling,  immediately  below  us. 
Fortunately,  I  retained  my  presence  of  mind;  and 
though  at  first  a  little  confused  and  bewildered,  by 
being  so  suddenly  awakened  from  a  calm  and  peaceful 


SURROUNDED    BY    PERILS.  379 

sleep,  I  was  soon  able  to  comprehend  our  true  situa 
tion,  and  the  cause  of  the  unwonted  disturbance. 

"There  is  a  flock  of  ravenous  wolves  below  us," 
said  I,  "  which  have  been  attracted  hither  by  the  scent 
of  our  game." 

"And  cannot  we  scare  them  away?"  she  eagerly 
demanded. 

"  I  will  try,"  I  replied ;  and  instantly  I  shook  the 
branches  of  the  trees,  and  shouted,  and  imitated  the 
yells  of  the  savages ;  but  though  we  could  tell,  from 
the  rustling  sounds  below,  that  they  drew  back  in 
fear,  yet  I  soon  became  satisfied,  from  seeing  their 
shining  eye-balls  formed  around  us  in  a  broad  circle, 
and  hearing  their  fierce  and  angry  responses,  that  we 
had  not  to  do  with  any  of  the  small,  cowardly  crews 
that  roamed  the  prairies  in  daylight  and  followed  the 
peacefully  disposed  buffaloes,  but  with  a  larger,  fiercer, 
more  courageous  and  dangerous  species. 

"  These  are  mountain  wolves,"  said  I,  uneasily, 
"  and  cannot  be  frightened  away." 

"  Oh  !  Eoland,  what  shall  we  do  ?  we  have  no  wea 
pons." 

*  We  must  either  permit  them  to  remain  till  dawn; 
when  they  will  peacefully  depart  to  their  lairs,  or  take 
the  sad  alternative  of  throwing  down  the  remains  of 
our  game,  whose  bloody  scent  has  attracted  them  here, 
and  renders  them  bold  and  furious." 

"If  you  think  that  will  appease  them,  let  us  throw 
it  down  to  them  at  once,"  she  replied,  in  a  tremulous 
voice. 


380  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  And  starve  ourselves,"  I  rejoined. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  we  must  trust  the  rest  to  Provi 
dence  ;  but  oh!  let  us  get  clear  of  them,  if  possible — 
for  they  make  me  faint  with  terror.  Oh !  Eoland,  do 
you  hear  them  ?  I  fear  they  will  attack  us  1" 

"  Undoubtedly  they  would,  if  within  their  reach," 
said  I ;  "  but  I  think  we  are  safe  here." 

"I  do  not  know — oh!  I  do  not  know — I  do  not  feel 
safe  even  here,  with  such  a  band  of  horrible  monsters 
immediately  under  us,  almost  within  our  reach." 

"  And  yet  the  alternative  seems  like  purchasing  a 
short  reprieve." 

"But  that  reprieve  may  be  our  salvation,"  said 
Adele.  "Oh  !  Eoland,  let  us  give  them  the  meat !" 

"  It  will  be  only  a  mouthful  apiece,"  returned  I ; 
"  and  I  fear  the  taste  of  blood  will  render  them  more 
furious." 

"  Let  them  have  it — let  them  have  it !"  she  pleaded ; 
"  perhaps  they  will  then  leave  us — and  I  am  so  terri 
fied." 

uHa!  our  poor  horse  1"  cried  I. 

"  What  of  him,  Eoland?" 

"  Do  you  not  hear  him  snorting  in  terror,  and  evi 
dently  struggling  with  his  bonds?  Oh,  that  I  had  left 
him  free!  perhaps  some  of  them  are  about  to  attack 
him !" 

"Quick!  quick!  Eoland — throw  down  the  game!" 
cried  Adele. 

Impulsively  I  seized  upon  the  remains  of  the  poor 
calf,  our  only  food,  and  hurled  it  through  the  branches. 


SURROUNDED     BY    PERILS.  381 

It  scarcely  reached  the  ground,  ere  it  was  pounced 
upon  by  the  fierce,  carnivorous  beasts,  which  savagely 
fought  among  .themselves  for  a  bare  morsel,  tearing  it 
in  pieces,  and  devouring  it,  in  less  time  than  it  takes 
me  to  record  the  fact.  The  effect  of  whetting  their 
appetites  by  a  mere  taste,  seemed  to  render  the  half 
famished  beasts  more  ferocious,  just  as  I  had  feared ; 
and  looking  down  through  the  leaves  and  branches, 
we  encountered  a  dozen  or  twenty  glaring  eyes,  all 
fixed  upon  us  ;  while  our  ears  were  saluted  with  such 
outbursts  of  hungry  rage  and  desire  as  sent  the  blood 
with  a  fearful  rush  to  our  very  hearts. 

"  Oh  1  dear  Eoland,  they  will  attack  us  even  here !" 
cried  Adele.  "Heaven  preserve  us!  we  had  better 
climb  higher." 

"  It  may  be  best,"  said  I,  much  alarmed,  though  I 
strove  to  appear  calm.  "I  do  not  think  they  can  reach 
us  here,  dear  Adele ;  but  perhaps,  by  removing  to  a 
greater  distance,  they  will  be  less  liable  to  make  the 
attempt.  Yet  we  must  do  so  with  great  caution, 
dearest — for  one  misstep  might  be  fatal.  Remain 
quiet,  Adele,  till  I  can  ascertain  if  our  design  be 
practicable." 

As  I  spoke,  I  fixed  my  feet  firmly  upon  a  strong 
limb,  and,  with  my  arms  and  hands  grasping  the 
trunk  of  the  tree,  I  was  already  in  the  act  of  stretching 
my  body  upward,  when  my  progress  was  arrested  by 
a  most  strange,  and  at  the  time  unaccountable,  occur- 
ence. 

The  hungry  and  maddened  wolves — which,  up  to 


THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

the  moment  in  question,  were  snarling,  growling, 
fighting,  howling,  and  dancing  around  below  us — 
stretching  up  their  heads,  and  glaring  at  us  with  their 
fiery  eyes,  and  every  now  and  then  making  short 
springs  from  the  earth,  as  if  preparing  for  a  bolder 
attempt — these  ferocious  beasts  of  prey,  I  say,  sudden 
ly  stopped  their  hideous  noises,  and  for  a  moment 
remained  perfectly  quiet.  It  was  but  for  a  moment, 
however;  and  -then  a  wild,  unearthly,  half-shriek, 
half-yell,  seemed  to  burst  from  every  throat ;  and  ere 
the  breeze  had  borne  this  cry  of  terror  a  hundred 
yards,  they  were  rushing  away  in  a  body,  as  if  flying 
from  some  known  and  terrible  foe,  leaving  us  in 
trembling  apprehension  of  a  more  fearful  danger  than 
any  we  had  escaped. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

NIGHT    OF    HORROR. 

FOR  perhaps  a  minute  we  remained  in  breathless 
silence,  as  if  paralyzed,  striving  to  catch  the  slightest 
sound,  and  moving  not  a  muscle ;  but  the  dull,  dreary 
rustling  of  the  leaves,  with  an  occasional  sigh  and 
moan  of  the  breeze,  as  it  swept  with  a  varying  current 
through  the  little  grove,  was  all  that  we  could  now 
distinguish  with  the  sense  of  hearing.  My  first 
movement  was  to  quietly  return  to  the  side  of  Adele, 


A    NIGHT    OF    HORROR.  383 

and  steal  an  arm  around  her.  As  she  felt  ray  touch, 
she  began  to  tremble,  and  the  next  moment  said,  in  a 
whisper : 

"  Oh  !  dear  Koland,  what  is  it?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  I  replied,  with  the  same  caution. 
"  I  trust  it  is  nothing  to  occasion  further  alarm.  Our 
noisy  enemies  may  have  scented  other  game,  and  fled 
in  pursuit." 

"But  their's  was  a  cry  of  terror,"  she  rejoined.  "I 
never  heard  any  thing  like  it  before.  Perhaps  the 
savages  are  stealing  upon  us  I" 

I  involuntarily  shuddered — for  I  knew  myself  in  a 
condition  to  offer  no  resistance — but  I  combated  her 
fears  as  well  as  I  could. 

"  They  would  hardly  have  fled  so  suddenly  from 
anything  human,  since  they  did  not  seem  to  fear  us. 
It  is  possible  that,  as  has  sometimes  occurred  to  us, 
they  may  have  fancied  danger  when  there  was  none 
in  reality." 

"  I  cannot  think  so,  dear  Eoland ;  I  feel  strongly 
impressed  that  there  is  a  terrible  foe  near  us :  let  us 
remain  quiet  and  listen." 

We  did  so  for  a  while — but  heard  only  the  breeze, 
with  its  sighing,  moaning,  rustling  accompaniments. 

"  It  is  nothing,  thank  God  1"  said  I  at  length,  with 
a  feeling  of  relief. 

"  Hark !  what  is  that  ?"  inquired  Adele,  as  at  the 
moment  a  distant  howl  of  the  hungry  wolves  came 
iloating  on  the  breeze. 

"It  is  an  assurance  that  our  fierce  enemies  are  far 


384  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

away,"  I  replied.  "  Depend  upon  it,  they  are  seek 
ing  other  game,  and  we  have  reason  to  rejoice  at  the 
cause  which  drew  them  from  us  so  unexpectedly. 
I  wonder  if  they  attacked  our  noble  beast.  I  think 
not,  or  we  should  certainly  have  heard  his  cries  of 
terror  and  pain.  Perhaps  he  has  broken  his  bonds 
and  fled !  I  will  steal  down  and  see ;  and  if  still 
hampered,  I  will  release  him,  that  in  case  of  an 
attack,  he  may  save  himself  by  flight." 

"  Oh !  no,  Roland — do  not  stir  from  my  side !  I  am 
so  terrified !"  returned  Adele,  grasping  me  nervously. 

"But  I  will  only  be  a  moment,  dearest;  and  we 
certainly  owe  this  much  to  the  noble  animal,  which 
has  more  than  once  saved  our  lives." 

"I  know  it,  dear  Roland — I  feel  he  ought  to  be 
released — but  I  fear  to  let  you  go." 

"  Do  not  fear — I  will  only  be  a  moment — and  it 
now  occurs  to  me,  that  should  Indians  be  prowling 
around,  and  chance  to  find  him  hampered,  they  will 
know  his  riders  are  near,  and  that  very  fact  may  lead 
to  our  discovery." 

uBe  quick  then — and  oh!  Roland,  be  very,  very 
cautious  1" 

"  Trust  me,  dearest  Adele,  I  will  be  very  cautious, 
if  only  for  your  sweet  sake." 

As  I  spoke,  I  gently  disengaged  myself  from  her 
trembling  grasp,  and  quickly  and  quietly  slid  down 
the  trunk  of  the  tree.  I  stood  for  a  moment,  peering 
about  me  in  the  darkness ;  and  then  gently  parting 
the  underbrush,  I  stole  out  from  under  the  deep 


A    NIGHT    OF    HO  HE  OR.  385 

shadows  of  the  trees,  to  a  point  whence  I  could  over 
look  the  valley  where  the  animal  had  been  feeding. 
The  night  being  cloudy,  and  the  moon  not  being  yet 
risen,.!  could  not  distinguish  an  object  six  feet  from 
my  eyes ;  but  feeling  my  way  carefully,  I  was  in  the 
very  act  of  descending  to  the  hollow,  when  I  suddenly 
heard  a  rushing  sound,  accompanied  by  a  shriek  or 
scream,  so  wild  and  terrible  that  I  felt  my  blood 
curdle  and  my  hair  stand  on  end.  The  next  moment 
there  came  another  sound,  entirely  different  from  the 
preceding — but  so  frightful,  and  unearthly,  that  I 
fairly  sunk  down,  paralyzed  with  fear.  Then  imme 
diately  arose  a  succession  of  the  most  horrible  noises 
I  ever  heard — sounds  of  a  deadly  struggle  just  below 
me — with  snarlings,  growlings,  and  gnashings  of  teeth, 
commingled  with  yells,  and  groans,  and  bellowings  of 
pain,  terror  and  despair.  Hardly  conscious  of  what  I 
was  doing,  I  staggered  to  my  feet,  when  the  shrieks  of 
Adele  reached  my  ear  and  recalled  me  to  myself.  As 
quick  as  my  trembling  limbs  could  bear  me,  I  ran. 
back  to  our  retreat,  and  clambered  up  to  her  side. 

"Oh,  Eolandl"  she  cried — "are  you  really  here? 
are  you  safe  ?" 

"I  am  here,  dearest,  safe  and  unhurt,"  I  rather 
gasped  than  said. 

"And  what  are  those  terrible  noises?     Oh,  God 
help  us!  I  am  so  frightened  I  can  scarcely  speak." 

"I  hardly  know  myself,"  said  I,  "for  I  could  dis 
tinguish  nothing  in  the  darkness;  but  I  fear  some 
wild  beast  has  sprung  upon  our  poor  horse." 
23 


386  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"Oh,  yes — I  have  it  now!"  she  cried;  "it  is  a 
panther.  Yes,  I  have  heard  them  scream  before ;  but 
I  was  so  terrified  I  did  not  recognize  the  sound.  Holy 
saints  preserve  us  1  what  a  narrow  escape  you  made ! 
Give  me  your  hands:  I  must  grasp  them,  to  realize 
you  are  still  with  me.  Yes,  it  is  a  panther,  Koland; 
and  the  keen -scented  wolves  knew  of  his  approach, 
and  fled.  Thank  Heaven  it  is  no  worse  !  for  had  you 
been  killed,  dear  Koland,  what  would  have  become  of 
me." 

"It  is  bad  enough  as  it  is,"  said  I,  gloomily  ;  "for 
now  we  are  without  food,  without  weapons,  without 
any  means  of  protection,  and  must  make  our  journey 
on  foot  through  a  dreary  wilderness." 

"  God  help  us!"  exclaimed  Adele,  bursting  into  tears. 

Instantly  I  regretted  what  I  had  said — though  I 
believed  it  to  be  a  painful  truth,  and  that  she  must  re 
alize  it  sooner  or  later.  I  made  some  effort  to  console 
and  cheer  her — but  I  felt  too  sad  and  dispirited  myself 
to  render  my  words  effective.  For  some  ten  or 
fifteen  minutes  we  heard  the  fierce  beast  snarling  and 
growling,  as  he  tore  the  flesh  from  his  prey ;  and  as 
I  remembered  how  gallantly  our  noble  steed  had 
saved  us  from  more  than  one  fearful  peril,  and  thought 
upon  his  present  condition — an  awful  return  for  his 
noble  deeds — it  seemed  as  if  a  human,  rather  than 
brute,  friend  had  been  snatched  from  us,  and  so 
deeply  affected  me  that  I  wept  like  a  child. 

Oh!  that  long,  dismal,  eventful  night — would  that  I 
could  forget  it !  for  even  now  I  can  only  recall  it 


A    NIGHT    OF    HORKOB.  387 

with  feelings  of  horror.  At  length  the  glutted  pan 
ther  left  his  bloody  work,  and  all  became  quiet — but 
there  was  no  sleep  for  us.  Side-by-side  among  the 
branches  we  sat,  and  listened  to  the  sighing  and 
moaning  breeze — which,  to  our  excited  senses,  seemed 
the  solemn  requiem  of  our  hopes.  The  moon  rose  at 
length,  and  shed  a  dim  light  upon  the  gloomy  scene ; 
and  soon  after  it  began  to  lighten  in  the  west ;  and 
the  heavy  booming  thunder  came  rolling  along  at 
intervals,  like  peals  of  distant  ordnance,  gradually 
increasing  in  volume,  as  the  shower  approached,  till 
at  length  the  lightning  flashed  vividly,  and  the  roar 
or  crash  followed  quickly,  and  the  rain  poured  down 
in  large  streams,  drenching  us  completely,  and  chill 
ing  us  to  our  very  bones. 

I  will  not  longer  dwell  upon  that  night  of  horror 
and  misery.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  when  the  morning 
dawned,  dreary  and  rainy,  we  descended  to  the 
ground,  weak,  benumbed,  and  absolutely  wretched. 
Though  the  shower  had  long  since  passed  on,  yet 
the  wind  had  changed,  and  was  now  blowing  steadily 
from  the  northeast,  accompanied  by  a  cold,  drizzling 
rain,  that  we  knew  from  the  signs  would  continue 
through  the  day,  and  perhaps  for  many  days  together, 
and  this  was  anything  but  cheering.  Our  first  pro 
ceeding  was  to  ascertain  if  our  worst  fears  were  real 
ized;  for  though  we  scarcely  doubted,  yet  we  had 
tried  to  hope,  even  from  the  depths  of  our  despair ; 
and  accordingly,  with  a  kind  of  timid  haste,  we  ap- 


388  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

preached  the  spot  whence  we  could  look  down  into 
the  valley  below.  One  glance  was  enough  to  reveal 
the  worst  in  its  most  heart-sickening  aspect ;  for  there 
indeed  lay  the  mutilated  remains  of  a  large  animal — 
his  fell  destroyer  having  torn  out  his  entrails  and 
eaten  to  satiety. 

"Oh,  my  God!"  exclaimed  Adele,  bursting  into 
tears,  and  turning  her  head  away. 

I  tried  to  keep  from  weeping,  but  tried  in  vain.  I 
could  not  look  upon  that  poor  brute,  and  remember 
what  he  had  done  for  us,  without  feeling  that  we  had 
lost  the  only  friend  we  had  had  near  us  in  all  that 
great  wilderness ;  and  giving  way  to  my  emotions,  I 
sat  down  on  a  stone,  and  paid  a  second  and  as  sincere 
a  tribute  to  his  memory  as  if  he  had  borne  the  human 
form. 

lt  It  is  right  to  weep  over  him,  dear  Boland,"  said 
Adele,  drawing  close  to  my  side,  and  throwing  her 
arms  around  my  neck ;  "  for  in  life  he  saved  our  lives, 
and  again  in  his  death." 

"How  in  his  death,  dearest?" 

"  God  works  mysteriously,"  she  solemnly  replied, 
"and  this  noble  animal  was  but  an  instrument  in  His 
hands  to  turn  the  ferocious  destroyer  from  human 
prey.  The  panther  drove  off  the  wolves — but  we 
should  have  been  his  victims,  perhaps,  had  he  not 
found  one  here  which  satisfied  his  ravenous  desires." 

"You  may  be  right,"  said  I,  shuddering.  "But 
come — we  must  do  something  besides  weep  now.  We 
have  a  long  journey,  to  be  performed  on  foot,  before 


A    NIGHT    OF    II  ORB  OK.  389 

we  can  reach  the  mountains;  and  though  I  know  you 
must  be  weak,  faint,  and  perhaps  sick,  yet  necessity 
compels  me,  much  against  my  will,  dear  Adele,  to  urge 
you  to  set  out  now." 

"I  am  ready,"  she  rejoined ;  "  and  so  let  us  hasten  our 
departure  from  this  horrid  place." 

"Ere  we  go,"  pursued  I,  UI  think  stern  necessity 
demands  of  me  one  act,  which,  under  any  other  cir 
cumstances,  would  be  revolting  in  the  extreme;  and 
even  as  it  is,  I  contemplate  it  with  repugnance." 

"  What  is  that,  dear  Eoland  ?" 

UI  must  tear  off  some  of  the  flesh  from  yonder 
carcass,  and  take  it  with  us,  to  guard  against  starva 
tion." 

"What!  eat  the  flesh  of  our  noble  friend?"  ex 
claimed  Adele,  shuddering:  "it  seems  like  turning 
cannibal.  But  it  is  not  human,"  she  immediately 
added,  "and  we  are  not  in  a  condition  to  reject  any 
food  which  can  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger.  I 
could  not  touch  it  now,  it  is  true — but  the  time  may 
soon  come  when  we  both  shall  be  glad  to  eat  it." 

"  Well,  do  you  remain  here,  while  I  go  down  and 
perform  this  unpleasant  duty." 

Saying  this,  I  hastened  down  the  hill,  to  where  the 
carcass  was  lying — but  I  approached  it  with  a  sense 
of  loathing — for  my  appetite  was  not  keen  enough,  at 
this  time,  to  render  the  flesh  of  our  horse  desirable 
food.  The  morning,  as  I  have  mentioned,  was  dark 
and  rainy — and  there  was,  besides,  a  kind  of  cloud- 
like  mist  pervading  the  whole  range  of  vision,  which 


390  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

rendered  it  impossible  to  see  any  object  with  distinct 
ness  at  more  than  fifty  or  a  hundred  feet  from  the 
eye.  As  I  drew  near  the  carcass,  I  naturally  turned 
my  sight  from  what,  under  the  peculiar  circumstances, 
I  considered  a  revolting  spectacle — nor  did  I  again 
look  at  it,  till  it  became  absolutely  necessary  for  me 
to  do  so,  in  order  to  perform  my  disagreeable  task. 
It  was  thus  I  reached  the  body  without  inspecting  it ; 
and,  in  fact,  I  was  in  the  very  act  of  bending  over  it, 
when,  with  a  kind  of  nervous  desperation,  I  suddenly 
turned  my  gaze  full  upon  it.  At  the  first  glance  I 
started,  and  the  next  moment  I  was  jumping  up  and 
down,  clapping  my  hands,  and  shouting  like  a  mad 
man. 

Adele,  who  had  been  watching  me,  on  perceiving 
my  singular  and  unaccountable  manoeuvers,  came 
bounding  down  the  hill,  in  the  utmost  alarm,  fearing 
I  had  indeed  lost  my  senses. 

U0h!  Eoland,"  she  cried,  "what  has  happened? 
Have  you  been  bitten  by  a  rattle-snake  ?  or  are  you 
mad  ?  For  the  love  of  Heaven,  if  you  know  me, 
speak !  and  tell  me  the  worst !" 

" There!  there!"  cried  I;  "look  there!"  and  I 
pointed  to  the  mangled  carcass,  and  fairly  laughed 
aloud. 

"  Merciful  Heaven !  what  is  this  ?"  cried  she,  looking 
down,  as  directed,  for  the  cause  of  my  supposed  mad 
ness.  "  As  I  live,  this  is  not  the  body  of  our  horse, 
but  of  abufialo!" 

"You  have  the  secret,"  I  fairly  shouted   almost 


A    NIGHT    OF    HORROR.  391 

delirious  with  a  sudden  transition  of  powerful  emo 
tions — the  sudden  transition  from  despair  to  joy.  "  Our 
noble  friend  has  escaped  !  Do  you  hear,  dear  Adele  ? 
he  is  not  dead — but  has  escaped — Heaven  be  praised !" 

Perhaps  the  reader  may  think  I  had  small  cause 
for  such  powerful  demonstrations  of  delight ;  and  to 
fully  appreciate  my  feelings,  it  might  be  necessary 
for  him  to  pass  through  similar  scenes  of  peril,  trial 
and  suffering;  and  then  to  realize  that  the  living 
thing  which  had  saved  him,  and  one  more  dear  to 
him  than  his  own  life,  had  groaned  out  his  death- 
agonies  in  his  very  ears — seeming  to  call  on  him,  in 
turn,  for  that  aid  in  distress  which  he  was  powerless 
to  render ;  and  then,  withal,  to  believe  that,  with  the 
noble  brute,  had  perished  his  main  hope  of  escaping 
with  life  from  a  dreary  wilderness.  Place  him  in  my 
situation,  let  him  experience  the  horrors  of  one  such 
eventful  night,  and  I  think  the  veriest  stoic  would 
show  the  common  feelings  of  humanity,  and  mourn 
the  loss,  and  rejoice  at  the  escape,  of  his  brute  friend, 
with  outward  demonstrations  not  unlike  those  of 
mine. 

"  How  has  this  happened,  dear  Eoland  ?"  at  length 
inquired  Adele,  when  the  first  powerful  excitement  of 
both  had  begun  to  subside. 

"God  only  knows!"  said  I;  "but  I  feel  that  His 
goodness  and  mercy  have  been  manifested  here." 

"They  have,  indeed!"  rejoined  Adele,  solemnly; 
"  and  it  becomes  us,  as  intelligent  beings,  to  show  our 
gratitude  in  proper  devotion." 


392  THE    BORDER    HOVER. 

As  she  spoke,  she  kneeled  down  upon  the  wet 
earth  —  I  impulsively  followed  her  example  —  and 
then  and  there,  alone  in  the  great  wilderness,  feeling 
ourselves  directly  in  the  presence  of  the  Great 
Unseen,  we  poured  out  our  souls  in  fervent  thanks 
giving  for  our  wonderful  preservation,  and  the  recent 
joy  which  had  come  as  sunlight  through  clouds  of 
gloom  to  our  desolate  hearts. 

But  though  our  horse  had  escaped,  and  we  rejoiced 
in  the  fact,  yet  there  was  no  certainty  that  we  should 
ever  find  him  again;  and  so,  after  ascending  the  hill, 
and  looking  in  vain  for  him  over  the  extent  of  country 
within  the  range  of  our  vision,  we  resolved  to  set 
forward  on  foot,  with  no  further  delay  than  would 
be  required  to  complete  our  simple  preparations. 
Collecting  the  remains  of  the  bridle,  the  saddle-cloth, 
and  some  straps  and  buckles,  that  we  might  be  able 
to  make  use  of  the  beast  should  we  be  so  fortunate  as 
to  find  him,  I  proceeded  to  disengage  a  large  piece 
of  meat  from  the  hump  of  the  young  buffalo,  and 
then  announced  to  Adele  that  we  were  ready  to  bid  an 
eternal  adieu  to  a  spot  where  we  had  passed  through 
so  much  physical  and  mental  suffering. 

Still  laying  our  course,  to  the  best  of  our  judg 
ment,  due  west,  we  set  off  at  a  fast  walk  through  the 
wet  grass  and  misty  rain;  and  for  the  first  hour  we 
found  a  rather  pleasurable  sensation  in  the  exertions 
which  caused  our  chilled  and  sluggish  blood  to  again 
circulate  freely  and  warmly  through  our  veins.  But 
after  two  or  three  hours  of  this  severe  exercise,  we 


A.    NIGHT    OF    HORROR.  393 

began  to  sensibly  realize  the  great  loss  we  had  met 
with,  aside  from  both  speed  and  safety— for  our  feet, 
which  were  only  covered  with  moccasins,  now  gave 
us  warning  that  we  could  not  perform  a  long  journey 
without  much  physical  suffering.  The  ground  was 
rough  and  uneven;  and,  being  softened  with  the  rain, 
our  feet  slipped  at  almost  every  step ;  and  often  sink 
ing  below  the  surface,  were  bruised  and  cut  with  the 
small,  sharp  gravel-stones  which  lay  immediately 
beneath. 

Our  appearance  at  this  time  was  not  such  as  to 
adorn  a  fashionable  drawing-room.  I  was  not  only 
habited  in  the  plain,  rough  costume  of  the  moun 
taineer,  but  looked  like  one  who  had  seen  hard  ser 
vice — for  my  beard  was  long,  my  skin  bronzed,  my 
hair  matted;  while  my  garments,  covered  with  mud 
and  soaked  with  rain,  were  wrinkled,  shrunken,  and 
clung  to  me  like  a  second  skin.  Nor  had  Adele  any 
thing  to  boast  of.  Dressed  much  as  she  was  when 
I  first  described  her — with  the  addition  of  moccasins, 
leggings,  and  a  kind  of  wampum- worked  waistcoat, 
which  she  had  herself  constructed  from  materials 
furnished  her  by  Waralongha  while  a  prisoner — she 
looked  all  the  worse  for  her  long  journey,  and  expo 
sure  to  heat,  'dust,  rain  and  mud ;  and  with  her  black 
hair  streaming  down  in  tangled  masses,  and  her  face 
and  hands  tanned  and  soiled,  she  presented  an  exte 
rior  little  calculated  to  excite  the  envy  of  a  fashion 
able  city  belle.  However,  I  may  say,  so  far  as 
externals  were  concerned,  we  looked  well  to  each 


. 


394:  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

other,  and  gave  little  heed  to  matters  more  trifling 
than  life,  liberty,  health  and  safety. 

"We  toiled  on  till  the  mid-day  hour,  and  found  to 
our  dismay  that  we  had  made  but  little  progress. 
From  an  elevation,  we  could  look  back  to  the  point 
we  had  left  in  the  morning;  while  the  clouds,  with 
their  appendages  of  vapor,  floated  too  low  to  give  us 
a  glimpse  of  the  still  distant  mountains. 

"This  seems  labor  without  reward,"  said  Adele, 
despondingly.  "  We  shall  have  to  spend  another 
night,  at  least,  on  this  rolling  prairie." 

"  But  we  may  be  as  safe  here  as  among  the  moun 
tains,"  I  rejoined.  "  One  great  object  I  had  in  reach 
ing  the  hills,  was  the  fear  that  we  should  get  no  food 
save  roots  and  berries;  but  we  fortunately  have  meat 
enough  with  us  to  last  us  twenty-four  hours ;  and 
when  this  is  gone,  the  same  Providence  that  provided 
it  may  furnish  us  another  supply." 

"  Forgive  me,  dear  Eoland — and  ye  holy  beings 
who  watch  over  us — for  having  dared  to  murmur, 
when  I  have  so  much  cause  for  being  thankful !"  con 
tritely  exclaimed  Adele. 

"You  are ,  fatigued,  foot-sore,  and  faint,  poor  girl!17 
said  I,  tenderly ;  "  we  will  seek  a  suitable  place,  and 
stop  and  rest.  If  we  could  only  start  a  fire,  and  cook 
our  game,  we  should  be  in  a  better  condition  to  re 
sume  our  journey ;  but  as  it  is,  I  fear  we  shall  be 
compelled  to  devour  some  of  it  in  its  raw  state." 

"I  cannot  taste  it  at  present,"  replied  Adele,  turning 
away  her  head — "  but  perhaps  I  may  before  night." 


A    NIGHT    OF    HORROR.  395 

She  looked  hurriedly  around,  and  pointing  to  a  neigh 
boring  hill,  added  :  "Yonder  appears  to  be  a  shelving 
rock — perhaps  we  can  crawl  under  it,  and  rest  in  a 
dry  place." 

"A  happy  discovery!"  said  I — and  we  immedi 
ately  set  off  toward  it. 

On  arriving  at  the  rock,  we  found,  to  our  great  de 
light,  that  it  was  only  one  of  several,  which  lay  piled 
together  in  such  a  manner  as  to  form  a  little  cave,  of 
some  ten  feet  in  extent,  with  just  sufficient  depth  and 
breadth  to  permit  us  to  sit  erect,  side  by  side ;  and 
what  was  of  equal  importance  to  its  shelter,  and  in 
creased  our  first  delight  to  rapture,  its  floor  was 
strewn  with  dead  leaves,  those  farthest  from  the  en 
trance  being  dry  as  tinder. 

"  Thank  Heaven  1  we  shall  soon  have  a  fire  !"  cried 
I,  as  I  looked  out,  after  having  crawled  cautiously  in 
to  explore  it ;  "  a  few  sticks  are  all  that  is  wanting  ; 
and  then  we  shall  have  a  meal  that,  taken  in  connec 
tion  with  our  appetites,  an  epicure  might  envy.  Go 
in,  dear  Adele,  while  I  collect  some  sticks  in  the  little 
hollow  below. 

Within,  half  an  hour  from  discovering  this  charming 
retreat,  we  were  broiling,  toasting  and  devouring  our 
meat,  and  drying  our  garments  at  a  bright,  cheerful 
fire,  kindled  just  at  the  entrance ;  and  never  was  meal 
ate  with  better  relish  or  more  thankful  hearts. 

"  Is  it  not  wonderful,"  said  Adele,  "  that  just  at  the 
moment  of  greatest  necessity  oar  wants  are  unexpec 
tedly  supplied?" 


396  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  "We  are  wonderfully  favored  indeed,"  returned  I; 
"  and  when  I  cease  to  be  grateful  to  Him  Avho  feeds 
the  raven,  may  I  cease  to  have  a  being." 

Having  finished  our  meal,  and  cooked  the  remain 
der  of  our  meat,  to  serve  us  on  the  morrow,  we  sat 
by  the  blazing  fire,  feeding  it  with  fresh  fuel,  and 
conversing  on  congenial  subjects,  till  our  garments 
became  dry,  and  we  felt  that  we  could  resume  our 
journey  with  buoyant  spirits. 

"  But  what  do  you  say,  Aclele  ?"  pursued  I,  as  we 
looked  out  upon  the  driving  storm,  and  began  to 
think  of  quitting  our  comfortable  quarters ;  "  had  we 
not  better  remain  where  we  are  till  another  day  ?" 

"It  is  certainly  not  pleasant  to  think  of  passing 
the  night  in  the  rain,  to  say  nothing  of  such  horrors 
as  deprived  us  of  sleep  at  our  last  encampment,"  she 
replied. 

"  Enough,  dearest — God  willing,  we  will  pass  the 
night  here  in  safety — for  we  certainly  need  rest." 

Having  thoroughly  dried  our  garments,  we  let  the 
fire  die  out — for,  under  cover,  the  weather  was  too 
warm  to  require  it  for  comfort.  I  then  proceeded 
to  close  up  the  mouth  of  our  little  cave  with  sticks, 
brush  and  stones,  which  kept  me  occupied  for  an  hour. 
This  done,  and  being  fairly  shut  in,  so  that  we  had  no 
occasion  to  feel  apprehensive  of  an  attack  from  wild 
beasts,  we  gave  ourselves  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  the 
time,  and  never  did  hours  fly  more  swiftly  and  hap 
pily.  The  past,  since  our  first  meeting,  had  been 
full  of  perils,  privations  and  sufferings — the  future 


ON     THE    MOUNTAINS.  397 

might  come  teeming  with  new  woes — but  the  present 
we  felt  was  ours,  to  mingle  soul  with  soul  through 
that  connecting  link  of  love  which  we  believed  could 
never  be  broken.  I  told  my  history  to  Adele,  and, 
from  her  lips,  gathered  all  that  she  knew  of  her  own  ; 
and  then,  with  the  romance  of  youth,  we  built  airy 
castles  in  the  future,  peopled  them  with  airy  forms, 
and  seemed  to  live  ourselves,  as  ethereal  sensations, 
above  and  beyond  the  jars,  discords,  troubles  and 
perplexities  of  a  material  world.  It  was  a  waking 
dream,  it  is  true — but  one  of  the  most  happy  of  my 
life — and  when  night  drew  around  us  her  sable  cur 
tains,  we  fell  asleep,  to  rest  in  happy  unconsciousness 
till  the  dawn  of  another  day. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

ON     THE     MOUNTAINS. 

LOOKING  out  from  our  little  cave  on  the  following 
morning,  I  was  delighted  to  perceive  that  the  wind 
had  again  changed,  and  that  the  clouds,  less  humid, 
were  broken,  and  drifting  back  toward  the  east,  show 
ing  streaks  of  a  soft,  blue  sky  between  their  pictur 
esque  fragments. 

"How  often  hope  comes  with  the  dawn!"  said  I, 
reflectively. 


398  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"It  lias  been  a  night  of  peace,  thank  God!  and  I 
feel  well  and  strong,"  replied  Adele,  cheerfully. 

We  now  thought  it  best  to  resume  our  journey  at 
once;  and  throwing  down  the  barrier  at  the  entrance 
of  our  temporary  but  happy  little  home  we  issued 
forth,  determined  to  make  the  most  of  our  strength 
and  time.  We  ascended  the  hill,  and,  standing  on  its 
highest  point,  took  a  survey  of  the  surrounding  scene. 
All  was  quiet,  save  a  few  birds,  of  bright  plumage, 
which  were  fluttering  among  the  green  leaves,  or 
flying  from  one  wooded  point  to  another,  and  singing 
their  happy  songs.  As  we  were  about  to  descend 
this  elevation,  I  stopped,  with  my  eyes  fixed  upon  an 
object  in  the  hollow ;  and  pointing  toward  it,  I  ex 
claimed  : 

"Can  I  credit  my  senses!  Look  yonder,  dear 
Adele,  and  tell  me  what  you  see  ?" 

"Most  wonderful!"  she  replied,  clasping  her  hands. 
"Heaven  is  merciful  beyond  our  deserts!  It  is  our 
gallant  beast." 

"It  is  our  lost  friend  indeed!"  rejoined  I,  with  a 
thrill  of  delight  that  words  cannot  express. 

I  hastened  down  the  hill;  and  then,  for  fear  ho 
would  run  away,  approached  him  cautiously.  He 
looked  up,  and,  seeing  me,  gave  a  familiar  whinny, 
and  even  advanced  two  or  three  steps  to  meet  me. 
On  reaching  him,  I  threw  my  arms  around  his  neck, 
and  fairly  hugged  him  with  delight.  He  had  broken 
the  straps  with  which  I  had  hampered  him  on  the 
night  of  his  escape,  and  some  of  the  pieces  were  still 


ON     THE    MOUNTAINS.  399 

attached  to  his  legs  and  neck.  These  I  removed ;  and 
joining  them  to  some  others  which  we  had  brought 
with  us,  I  was  thus  enabled  to  so  far  restore  the  miss 
ing  portions  of  the  bridle  as  to  put  it  in  a  condition 
for  use;  and  fastening  this  upon  his  head,  I  led  him 
to  a  rock,  and  we  mounted  his  bare  back.  As  I 
seated  Adele  before  me  once  more,  and  clasped  her 
around  the  waist,  I  said : 

"It  now  seems  as  if  our  dangers  were  past." 

"It  is  not  so,  dear  Koland,"  she  replied;  "but  our 
situation,  compared  with  what  it  was  on  that  awful 
night,  is  such  that  I  must  even  weep  for  joy." 

"  Well,  dearest,  shall  we  push  on  ?  or  ride  back  for 
the  saddle,  which  we  left  upon  the  tree  ?" 

"  Oh !  ride  on — ride  on  toward  the  mountains,  dear 
Eoland !"  she  replied,  eagerly.  "  I  would  not  go  back 
to  that  awful  place  for  any  consideration." 

"  Be  it  so,  then,"  rejoined  I ;  and  turning  our  horse's 
head  westward,  I  touched  him  lightly  on  the  flank, 
and  we  set  off  at  an  easy  gallop. 

The  day  wore  away  without  any  incidents  of  special 
importance.  Before  noon  the  sun  shone  out  bright 
and  clear ;  but  its  heat  was  tempered  with  the  cool 
breeze  from  the  mountains,  which  we  now  beheld 
looming  up  before  us,  and  which  we  hailed  with  as 
much  delight  as  the  shipwrecked  and  drifting  mari 
ner  might  experience  on  approaching  an  unknown 
coast.  It  was  not  necessarily  a  haven  of  security,  or 
a  spot  free  from  peril — but  it  was  a  destination  we 


400  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

liad  long  struggled  to  reach-— and  it  strengthened  our 
hope  with  a  substantial  reality. 

We  stopped  at  noon,  and  devoured  the  remainder 
of  our  little  stock,  and  then  pushed  on  again,  with 
comparatively  buoyant  spirits,  over  the  now  rugged 
and  hilly  country,  till  at  last,  just  as  the  declining  sun 
was  passing  from  our  view,  we  came  to  a  halt  at  the 
foot  of  a  steep  and  lofty  ridge. 

Satisfied  with  our  day's  ride,  we  dismounted ;  and 
like  Columbus,  on  discovering  a  new  continent,  wo 
embraced  the  earth  for  joy.  I  now  took  the  bridle 
from  our  noble  beast,  and  turned  him  loose,  to  feed 
upon  the  rich,  nutritious  grass,  which  spread,  carpet- 
like,  over  a  fertile  valley,  that  was  watered  by  a 
mountain  stream ;  and  this  done,  we  made  an  effort  to 
ascend  the  hill  which  towered  above  us,  in  order  to 
find  a  safe  place  for  our  night's  encampment. 

"We  had  toiled  up  about  half-way  to  the  summit, 
when  the  deepening  shadows,  settling  upon  the 
mighty  plain  which  stretched  away  eastward  for 
hundreds  of  miles  beyond  the  reach  of  sight,  warned 
us  that  we  had  no  time  to  lose,  if  we  would  place 
ourselves  in  security  before  darkness  should  fairly 
close  around  us.  "We  accordingly  scrutinized  every 
object  which  we  fancied  might  be  made  available  to 
our  purpose ;  and  at  length  we  discovered  a  large, 
gnarled  oak — growing  up  beside  a  high,  projecting 
rock  —  in  whose  twisted  and  matted  branches  we 
thought  we  could  make  ourselves  secure.  Ascending 
the  mountain  to  the  level  of  the  rock,  we  easily  got 


ON     THE    MOUNTAINS.  401 

upon  it,  and  thence  clambered  up  into  the  top  of  the 
tree ;  where,  by  means  of  the  straps  of  the  bridle,  I 
soon  managed  to  bind  together  some  of  the  limbs  in 
such  a  manner  as  not  only  to  secure  us  against  falling, 
but  also  give  us  a  comfortable  place  to  rest  and  even 
sleep. 

"We  spent  two  or  three  hours  in  exchanging 
thoughts  in  whispers ;  and  then,  lulled  by  the  gently 
rustling  leaves,  and  the  sweet  notes  of  a  neighboring 
night-singer,  and  being  undisturbed  by  any  discor 
dant  sounds  calculated  to  create  alarm,  we  gradually 
fell  asleep,  and  heard  no  more  till  the  morning  min 
strels  aroused  us  with  their  songs  to  see  a  new  day 
dawning  with  a  golden  glow. 

Our  elevation  was  now  such  that  we  could  over 
look  the  rough,  hilly  landscape  immediately  below, 
and  let  our  eyes  rest  upon  the  level  plain  beyond; 
and  never  did  I  gaze  upon  a  more  grand  and  beauti 
ful  scene.  In  the  distance  we  beheld,  here  and  there, 
some  tiny  streams  like  threads  of  silver,  with  occa 
sionally  moving  specks  upon  the  banks,  which  we 
believed  to  be  small  bands  of  the  harmless  deer,  or 
antelope,  quietly  seeking  their  morning  fill;  while 
nearer  we  once  or  twice  caught  a  view  of  the  larger 
elk,  keeping  a  wary  look-out  for  danger;  and  trot 
ting  or  loping  off  in  different  directions,  to  seek 
what  they  might  devour,  were  visible  the  craven- 
hearted  coyotes,  or  small  prairie  wolves.  As  the 
sun  rose  in  splendor  upon  the  scene,  Adele  gave 
voice  to  her  emotions: 
24 


402  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

"  Oh !  how  grand  and  beautiful  are  the  works  of 
God!"  she  exclaimed;  "and  when,  as  now,  I  view 
them  from  a  point  which  permits  the  vision  to  take 
in  more  than  I  usually  perceive,  my  soul  expands 
with  an  admiration  that  is  akin  to  rapture.  Oh!  if 
the  view  were  always  like  this,  and  it  were  perfectly 
safe,  and  we  had  the  necessaries  of  life  around  us,  dear 
Roland,  would  not  this  seclusion  be  enchanting?" 

"  For  a  time,  perhaps,"  I  replied;  "but  I  think  you 
would  eventually  tire  of  only  one  such  companion  as 
myself." 

"Never!"  said  Adele,  emphatically;  and  then,  be 
thinking  how  much  that  one  word  expressed  of  the 
true  state  of  her  heart,  the  warm  blood  mounted  to 
her  temples,  and  her  sweet  face  became  one  radiant 
glow. 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  assurance  that  my  companion 
ship  is  so  dear  to  you,"  I  tenderly  rejoined;  "and  it 
shall  be  my  aim,  through  the  life  before  us,  be  it  long 
or  short,  to  be  worthy  of  the  love  and  esteem  of  one 
I  so  dearly  prize;  but  your  conditional  observation 
reminds  me  of  the  one  great  want  to  be  supplied,  ere 
this  place,  or  any  other,  can  long  be  endurable,  much 
less  become  a  Paradise.  If  we  had  plenty  of  food, 
with  weapons  for  defence,  I  think,  for  the  rest,  we 
could  pass  many  days  here  in  contentment  and 
happiness;  but  it  is  not  pleasant  to  remember  that 
our  last  morsel  was  eaten  yesterday ;  or  to  ponder  the 
possibility,  if  not  probability,  of  a  long  and  painful 
fast  before  we  get  any  more." 


ON     THE    MOUNTAINS.  403 

"Ah!  God  save  us!"  ejaculated  Adele.  "Alas! 
what  will  become  of  us!  We  looked  forward  to 
reaching  these  mountains  as  oar  salvation — but  being 
here,  we  seem  to  have  gained  nothing  save  the  inter 
vening  hours  of  reprieve  from  actual  starvation." 

"  We  must  still  hope  on,  and  struggle  on,  as  best  we 
may,  till  we  reach  some  wilderness  fort,  or  fall  in  with 
some  of  the  emigrant  trains  on  their  way  to  or  from 
the  still  Far  West,"  said  I,  despondingly.  "  It  is  not 
wise  to  let  our  thoughts  dwell  too  much  on  the  future 
— to  speculate  on  that  of  which  we  have  not,  never 
have  had,  nor  can  have  any  knowledge,  till  it  becomes 
the  present.  We  must  console  ourselves  with  the  idea, 
that  we  are,  even  here,  as  directly  under  the  protection 
of  the  Great  Guardian,  as  if  surrounded  by  all  the  com 
forts  of  civilization  ;  that  if  it  be  His  will  that  we  perish, 
either  here  or  elsewhere,  the  limit  of  His  design  cannot 
be  passed ;  and  that  if  it  be  not  His  will  to  take  us  from 
earthly  scenes,  we  shall  remain,  and  be  provided  for, 
even  as  we  have  been.  Therefore,  my  dear  Adele, 
let  us  for  the  present  think  only  of  the  present ;  and 
say  for  the  future,  *  sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil 
thereof.'  " 

"You  say  well,  dear  friend,"  replied  Adele,  "  that 
we  may  fulfil,  but  not  change,  the  design  of  our 
Creator  and  Guardian ;  and  as  that  design  is  known 
only  to  Him,  it  becomes  us  to  put  our  trust  in  His 
Providence,  and  make  use  of  the  present  to  the  best 
of  our  judgment  and  abilities.  And  now,  dear  Eoland, 
as  the  day  has  fairly  begun,  what  do  you  propose  ?" 


404  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  I  scarcely  know  what  to  propose,"  replied  I,  in 
great  perplexity.  "  Our  first  immediate  want  is  food; 
but  unless  we  watch  the  birds,  and  eat  of  such  berries 
as  we  may  see  them  pluck,  I  know  of  no  means  of 
procuring  any  sustenance  whatever  —  and  even  this 
course  will  be  rather  calculated  to  prolong  than  sus 
tain  life;  and  for  fear  of  the  derangement  of  our 
systems,  I  think  it  best  not  to  resort  to  it  till  com 
pelled  by  hunger.  If  I  only  knew  our  exact  locality, 
I  could  soon  decide  which  course  to  take  to  reach 
either  St.  Train's  or  Fort  Laramie.  St.  Train's  Fort, 
I  remember,  is  marked  on  the  map  near  the  great 
bend  of  the  South  Fork  of  the  Platte,  and  directly 
east  of  Long's  Peak ;  while  Fort  Laramie  is  nealy  due 
north  from  the  former,  on  the  North  Fork  of  the  Platte, 
at  a  distance  of  more  than  a  hundred  miles.  Now 
whether  we  are  north  or  south  of  St.  Train's,  I  cannot 
say,  and  therefore  know  not  which  course  to  take." 

"  Nor  do  I  know  what  to  advise,"  returned  Adele. 

"I  have  sometimes  fancied  that  the  first  snowy  peak 
we  saw  from  the  prairies  might  be  Long's,"  pursued 
I ;  "and  that  was  further  south  than  we  are  now." 

"Yes,"  she  returned,  quickly;  "and  now  I  feel  a 
strong  impression  that  we  ought  to  go  south." 

"Then,  right  or  wrong,  we  will  set  off  in  that  direc 
tion,"  I  rejoined.  "  Yes,  my  plan  is  settled,"  I  con 
tinued,  after  a  momentary  consideration.  "If  we  can 
once  more  find  our  horse — and  I  think  he  has  not 
wandered  far  from  the  little  valley  in  which  we  left 


ON    THE    MOUNTAINS.  405 

him — we  will  mount  him  and  ride  southward,  keeping 
along  the  base  of  this  range  of  mountains,  till — " 

The  sentence  was  here  cut  short  by  Adele,  who 
clutched  me  nervously,  and  pointed  downward  through 
the  leaves  and  branches,  saying,  in  a  startled  whisper: 

"Hist,  dear  Eoland,  for  the  love  of  Heaven,  or  we 
are  lost !  See !  see !  yonder  goes  a  mounted  band  of 
savages." 

I  looked  in  the  direction  indicated,  and,  to  my  great 
alarm  and  dismay,  beheld  a  mounted  body  of  Indi 
ans,  some  fifteen  or  twenty  in  number,  slowly  filing 
over  a  small  elevation  in  a  southerly  direction ;  and 
the  last  one  was  leading  a  horse,  which,  even  though 
the  distance  was  considerable,  I  instantly  recognized 
as  the  beast  which  had  borne  us  hither.  They  did 
not  look  toward  us — nor  seem  to  be  in  search  of  any 
one — but  rode  quietly  onward,  and  soon  passed  be 
hind  an  intervening  hill,  which  shut  them  from  our 
view. 

"  God  help  us !"  ejaculated  I.  "  There  goes  our 
horse ;  and  we  have  looked  our  last  upon  him  this 
time,  unless  we  meet  him  under  the  painful  circum 
stances  of  being  captives  to  those  who  have  captured 
him." 

"  Which  God  forefend!"  returned  Adele,  with  a 
shudder,  "  Oh !  Eoland,  I  would  prefer  death  to  cap 
tivity.  And  yet,  had  we  gone  a  half  hour  since  to 
search  for  our  noble  beast,  we  might  have  been  seen 
and  taken  prisoners  by  this  very  party." 

"  And  what  is  to  be  done  now  ?"  pursued  I,  with  a 


406  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

feeling  of  despair  which  I  strove  to  conceal.  "  The 
plan  which  I  had  just  mentally  matured,  is  already 
frustrated ;  we  no  longer  have  a  horse  to  ride ;  and 
even  if  we  had,  it  would  be  as  much  as  our  freedom 
is  worth  to  take  the  course  pursued  by  these  savages." 

"We  must  set  oft'  on  foot,"  replied  Adele;  "and 
far  from  being  discouraged,  I  look  upon  the  capture 
of  our  horse  as  a  Providential  event ;  for  had  we  re 
sumed  our  journey  in  the  manner  you  intended, 
doubtless  we  should  have  met  with  some  serious  dis 
aster." 

"  We  will,  at  all  events,  endeavor  to  console  our 
selves  with  the  reflection,  that  what  has  happened  has 
happened  for  the  best,"  said  I.  "  Come,  dear  Adele, 
if  you  are  ready,  we  will  resume  our  labors — for  I  can 
perceive  no  advantage  we  shall  gain  by  delay." 

Adele  bowed  her  head,  as  if  in  prayer — was  silent 
for  a  minute — and  then  lifting  her  soft,  dark  eyes  to 
mine,  and  extending  her  hand,  which  I  eagerly  seized, 
she  said,  with  calm  resignation : 

"Whenever  you  think  it  safe  to  quit  our  conceal 
ment,  dear  Koland,  I  am  ready  to  share  with  you  the 
toils,  privations,  and  perils  which  it  may  still  be  our 
lot  to  encounter." 

"Heaven  grant,  for  your  sweet  sake,  they  be  not 
many,  nor  long  continued !"  I  rejoined,  as  I  drew  her 
delicate  form  to  me  in  a  fond  embrace. 


SICKNESS     AND     DESPAIR.  407 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

SICKNESS    AND    DESPAIR. 

INSTEAD  of  descending  to  the  base  of  the  mountain, 
as  had  been  our  first  intention,  we  ascended  to  its 
summit — whence  we  had  the  same  grand,  beautiful 
view  to  the  eastward — while  below  us,  to  the  west 
ward,  we  beheld  a  delightful  valley,  with  a  clear 
stream  of  water  flowing  through  green,  shady  banks, 
and  a  still  higher  range  of  hills  rising  just  beyond. 
Keeping  along  the  ridge  we  had  ascended,  in  a 
southerly  direction,  we  hastened  forward  for  several 
hours — the  scenery  constantly  changing,  and  pre 
senting  scenes  and  objects  pleasant  to  look  upon. 
Occasionally  we  roused  the  heavy-footed  elk,  or 
startled  the  mountain  deer,  which  went  bounding 
away  to  a  denser  and  more  distant  cover;  while 
from  the  rocky  front  of  a  neighboring  hill  we  espied 
the  mountain  goat,  springing  up  the  dizzy  heights 
where  foot  of  human  being  might  not  follow. 
Smaller  game  darted  away  from  us  at  almost  every 
step,  and  gay  birds  fluttered  and  sung  around  us; 
and  yet,  in  the  midst  of  plenty,  we  had  no  means 
to  procure  the  food  which  nature  demanded. 

At  last,  wearied  with  our  exertions,  we  seated 
ourselves  upon  a  rock;  but  had  scarcely  composed 
our  limbs  to  rest,  when  we  were  startled  at  the  rust- 


408  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

ling  of  some  bushes  behind  us ;  and  looking  around, 
we  perceived  a  large,  black  bear  deliberately  making 
his  way  toward  us.  Adele  uttered  a  scream  of  ter 
ror,  and  clutched  me  convulsively;  and  knowing 
there  was  no  time  to  lose,  I  started  up,  threw  an 
arm  around  her,  and,  half  lifting  and  supporting  her, 
hurried  her  forward  to  a  ledge  of  rocks,  which  for 
tunately  was  not  far  distant,  up  which  we  clam 
bered  about  twenty  feet  to  a  flat  projection,  where 
we  took  our  stand  and  turned  to  take  another  look 
at  our  enemy.  The  bear  had  leisurely  followed  us 
about  half  the  distance,  and  was  now  sitting  on  his 
haunches,  lazily  swaying  from  side  to  side,  and  lol 
ling,  and  looking  up  at  us  with  indolent  composure. 

"  Thank  God,"  said  I,  "  he  is  not  maddened  with 
hunger,  and  will  soon  leave  us  in  peace !" 

"  Oh !  dear  Koland,"  cried  Adele,  sinking  down 
upon  the  rock,  "I  am  getting  disheartened — we  are 
continually  in  peril." 

"  But  so  far,"  returned  I,  "  we  have  been  wonder 
fully  favored  in  making  our  escape." 

"  But  what  do  we  gain,  dear  Koland  ?" 

"  Life  and  time,  dearest." 

"  Life  that  is  beginning  to  feel  the  pangs  of  hunger, 
and  is  every  moment  growing  weaker — and  time  that 
perhaps  brings  us  no  nearer  a  point  of  safety !"  she 
rejoined,  with  a  look  of  despair. 

"Nay,  dear  Adele,"  I  pursued,  "give  not  way  to 
this  complaining  mood !  You  have  often  cheered  me 


SICKNESS     AND     DESPAIR.  409 

in  my  despondency  ;  and  I  pray  you  let  the  thought, 
that  God  watches  over  us,  restore  your  hope  now  !" 

"  His  will  be  done !"  she  murmured,  burying  her 
face  in  her  hands. 

"We  remained  where  we  were  for  more  than  an  hour; 
and  then,  the  bear  having  long  since  disappeared,  we 
descended  the  rocks,  and  pushed  forward,  till  the 
declining  sun  warned  us  to  seek  a  safe  asylum  for  the 
night.  We  found  a  wide  fissure  between  some  rocks, 
which  we  thought  would  answer  our  purpose;  and 
there,  without  having  tasted  food  since  noon  of  the 
preceding  day,  we  made  our  camp  and  passed  a  night 
of  wretchedness. 

The  next  day,  weak  and  faint,  we  resumed  our  toil 
some,  perilous  journey;  but  we  met  with  nothing  to 
encourage  us  till  toward  night,  when  we  found  a  paw 
paw  tree,  the  fruit  of  which  we  eagerly  devoured. 
Soon  after  eating,  I  began  to  feel  strangely;  and  dis 
covering  a  small  cave,  we  crept  into  it,  before  sunset, 
determined  to  go  no  further. 

That  night  I  was  attacked  with  terrible  pains,  and 
before  morning  grew  delirious;  but  my  reason  re 
turned  with  the  dawn — though  I  was  too  weak  and 
sick  to  pursue  my  journey.  What  I  suffered  in  mind 
and  body,  I  shall  not  attempt  to  say ;  but  the  reader 
may  form  some  idea  of  my  desperate  condition,  when 
I  state,  that  my  constant  prayer  was  for  death  to  release 
me  from  the  pangs  and  miseries  of  mortality.  Adele 
was,  fortunately,  spared  the  physical  pain  I  endured ; 
but  her  mental  sufferings  were  as  great  as  mine ;  and 


410  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

she  too  prayed  that  we  might  be  removed  to  the  spirit 
world. 

"  It  is  death  at  last,  dear  Roland,"  she  said ;  "  and 
though  an  awful  death,  it  shall  be  welcome." 

"  Death  for  me,  dearest,  sooner  or  later,"  I  replied  ; 
"  but  you  have  some  strength  remaining — and  I  con 
jure  you,  by  all  I  love,  to  use  it,  and  perhaps  you  may 
be  saved." 

"  What !  fly  and  leave  you  here,  to  perish  alone  ?" 
she  cried,  throwing  her  arms  around  my  neck,  and 
sobbing  upon  my  breast.  "  Never !  never !  never  !" 

"  But,  dearest,  listen  a  moment  to  reason  I" 

"  There  is  no  reason  in  such  an  idea  I"  she  wildly 
exclaimed.  "  Oh !  Roland,  I  did  not  dream  that  my 
noble  preserver  would  ever  harbor  the  thought  that 
I  could  desert  him  in  his  distress !  Oh  !  Roland,  take 
back  your  cruel  request — and  say  you  did  it  to  try 
me — that  you  do  not  really  think  me  so  base  and 
heartless  as  to  leave  you  here  to  die  alone !" 

"For  the  love  of  God,  Adele — dear  Adele— calm 
yourself— and  listen  one  moment  to  reason !" 

"Reason!"  she  cried ;  "call  you  such  ingratitude 
reason  ?  Oh !  Roland — oh !  Roland — that  I  should  live 
to  hear  such  a  proposition  from  your  lips  I" 

"  You  will  kill  me,  without  allowing  me  a  chance 
for  explanation,  if  you  go  on  this  way  !"  said  I,  re 
proachfully. 

"  Well,  speak,  then — speak !  but  oh !  dear  Roland — " 

"There,  there,"  interrupted  I — "  calm  yourself  and 


SICKNESS     AND     DESPAIR.  411 

hear  me  for  one  moment — and  hear  me  out  before 
you  reply." 

"  Speak,  then !" 

"  But  will  you  promise  to  hear  me  out  before  you 
reply,  dearest  Adele?" 

"  I  will  hear  anything  but  a  proposition  to  leave 
you,  my  benefactor  and  preserver !"  she  sobbed. 

"  But  would  you  not  save  my  life  if  you  could  ?" 

"  Oh!  Eoland,  can  you  ask  me  that?" 

"  Well,  perhaps  you  can  save  my  life." 

"How?  how?" 

"  Let  me  tell  you :  be  calm  now,  and  let  me  tell  you 
how." 

"  There,  there,  (hastily  drying  her  feverish  eyes) 
you  see  I  am  calm,  dear  Eoland." 

"  Listen  then,  and  do  not  interrupt  me,  dearest. 
Situated  as  I  am  here,  unless  I  receive  succor  soon,  I 
must  certainly  die.  There,  there,  now — hist ! — you 
are  not  to  interrupt  me,  remember !  Now  I  am  pros 
trated,  and  can  go  no  further,  be  the  consequences 
what  they  may ;  and  if  you  would  serve  me,  there  is 
but  one  way  in  which  you  can.  I  am  inclined  to 
think,  that  if  you  will  only  hurry  forward  in  the 
same  direction  we  have  been  pursuing  for  the  last 
two  days,  you  will  get  sight  of  St.  Train's  before 
your  strength  gives  out — and  once  there,  you  can 
send  me  assistance." 

"But  you  might  die  in  my  absence?" 

"  Perhaps  not;  but  if  my  minutes  are  numbered, 
your  remaining  cannot  save  me.  You  have  some 


412  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

fearful  risks  to  run,  in  going,  I  know;  but  I  see 
nothing  but  death  for  both  if  you  remain." 

"I  fear  not  for  myself,"  hastily  rejoined  Adele; 
"for  death  may  as  well  come  in  the  shape  of  a  wild 
beast  as  starvation ;  my  only  fear  is  that  you  may 
perish  in  my  absence." 

"  Then  go,  dearest,  at  once !  and,  under  God's 
Providence,  we  may  both  be  saved  !" 

I  had  no  hope  of  life  when  I  said  this — for  the 
racking  pains  of  body,  and  the  terrible  pressure 
upon  my  brain,  led  me  to  expect  delirium  at  any 
moment,  and  a  termination  of  my  sufferings  by  con 
gestion  in  a  few  hours, — but,  by  holding  out  the 
idea  to  Adele  that  she  might  find  succor  before 
all  should  be  over,  I  thought  it  barely  possible  she 
might  be  saved  herself  through  her  exertions  in 
my  behalf.  It  was  no  easy  matter,  however,  to  per 
suade  her  to  leave  me;  and  it  was  not  till  I  had 
repeatedly  assured  her  it  was  the  only  means  of 
saving  my  life,  that  she  consented  to  the  separation. 
The  parting  was  a  trying  and  painful  one — for  there 
was  great  probability  we  should  never  meet  again 
in  this  world ;  and  though  each  strove  to  console 
the  other  with  a  different  idea,  we  both  secretly 
acknowledged  there  was  a  much  better  foundation 
for  our  fears  than  our  hopes. 

"  Adele,"  said  I,  as  she  stood  sobbing  by  my  side 
— and  every  word  was  spoken  amid  racking  pains 
that  required  a  powerful  and  constant  concentration 
of  my  will  to  avoid  betraying  to  my  sympathizing 


SICKNESS     AND     DESPAIR.  413 

companion — "  Adele,  should  it  be  God's  pleasure 
that  I  never  behold  you  again  in  life — and  we  can 
not,  of  course,  know  what  is  His  design — I  want 
you,  if  you  escape,  to  write  to  my  parents,  and  tell 
them  how  and  where  I  came  to  my  end ;  and  assure 
them  that  I  passed  away,  praying  for  their  forgive 
ness,  and  with  the  hope  of  meeting  them  in  a  happier 
world." 

"Oh!  Roland,"  she  burst  forth— "I  cannot  leave 
you !  indeed  I  cannot !" 

"  Not  even  to  save  my  life  (" 

11  Oh !  how  you  torture  me  1" 

"  It  is  to  save  my  life  you  go,  dearest." 

"  But  you  do  not  yourself  think  you  will  live  till 
I  return." 

"I  think,  sweet  angel,  your  going  now,  at  once,  is 
the  only  chance  I  have  of  being  alive  a  week  from 
this.  Oh  1  if  you  love  me,  as  I  know  and  feel  you 
do,  linger  not  here  another  moment  I  There — adieu — 
and  God  protect  you !" 

She  dropped  down  on  her  knees,  threw  her  arms 
around  my  neck,  and  pressed  her  lips  to  mine.  For 
some  moments  she  neither  moved  nor  spoke,  and  I 
was  beginning  to  fear  her  emotions  had  proved  too 
much  for  her  physical  system,  when  she  suddenly 
disengaged  herself  from  the  embrace  and  staggered 
to  her  feet.  One  look — one  thrilling  look — a  look  of 
love  agonized — and  with  the  words,  "God  in  Heaven 
be  merciful !"  she  turned  and  vanished. 

For  some  minutes  after  her  departure,  I  rolled  to 


4:14  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

and  fro  in  the  most  violent  agony  of  body  and  mind ; 
but  I  suppressed  my  groans,  lest  they  should  reach 
her  ears  and  draw  her  back  to  perish  with  me.  Sud 
denly  I  found  my  sight  growing  dim,  and  felt  as  if 
my  senses  were  deserting  me. 

"It  is  death!"!  murmured — "it  is  death  I  but 
Adele  will  be  saved !"  and  as  the  last  word  passed 
my  lips,  I  became  unconscious  of  sorrow  and  pain. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

A     LONG     CAPTIVITY. 

I  HAVE  now  reached  a  point  in  my  narrative, 
where,  for  various  reasons,  I  wish  to  pass  over  some 
fifteen  long,  weary  months,  with  as  few  words  as  will 
serve  to  make  the  reader  acquainted  with  what  hap 
pened  to  me  during  the  interval,  and  connect  the 
preceding  with  what  is  to  follow.  How  long  a  time 
I  remained  unconscious,  but  delirious,  I  have  never 
been  able  to  ascertain ;  but  my  first  dim  recollection, 
after  the  parting  with  her  I  loved,  is  of  seeing,  like  a 
moving  shadow,  the  face  of  an  Indian  floating  over 
me ;  and  of  wondering  whether  it  belonged  to  an 
inhabitant  of  this  world  or  the  other ;  and  whether  I 
myself  was  still  a  mortal  or  a  spirit.  Darkness  inter 
vened  ;  and  my  next  remembrance  is  of  another  face, 
with  milder,  and,  though  not  beautiful,  less  hideous 


A    LONG    CAPTIVITY.  415 

features ;  and  connected  with  this  face  was  the  form 
of  a  woman,  half  nude,  and  half  clad  in  skins.  Another 
interval  of  darkness,  and  I  awoke,  to  find  myself 
lying  upon  a  bed  of  sweet-scented  herbs,  under  a  tent 
of  skins  ;  and  seated  on  one  side  of  me,  a  savage  in  his 
•war-paint;  and  on  the  other,  a  squaw,  past  the  middle 
age,  with  long,  gray  hair,  and  whose  person  was  pro 
fusely  decorated  with  gew-gaws  and  wampum. 

"  Where  am  I  ?"  was  my  first  natural  exclamation  ; 
to  which  the  only  responses  were,  a  grunt  from  the 
warrior  and  a  shake  of  the  head  from  the  squaw. 

The  chief — for  such  I  afterward  found  him  to  be 
• — now  arose,  and  stalked  out  of  the  lodge ;  and  the 
woman  began  a  low,  but  not  unmusical,  chant, 
which  she  continued  for  more  than  an  hour — or,  in 
fact,  until  I  fell  asleep — which  I  did,  even  while 
trying  to  keep  awake  and  unravel  the  mystery. 

What  I  learned  by  degrees,  and  after  a  compara 
tively  long  lapse  of  time,  it  suits  my  purpose  to  give 
the  reader  in  a  few  words.  I  had  been  found  by  a 
party  of  Indian  hunters,  who  were  bitter  enemies  of 
the  whites  ;  but  who,  instead  of  killing  and  scalping 
me,  had,  from  some  motive,  which  I  think  will  be 
apparent  in  the  sequel,  undertaken  to  restore  me  to 
health.  Their  efforts,  it  is  needless  to  say,  were 
crowned  with  success ;  and  I  slowly  regained  my  health 
in  an  Indian  village,  to  which  I  had  been  removed  in 
a  delirious  state. 

The  party  in  question  was  a  branch  of  the  Crow 
nation,  who  had  ventured  far  south  in  search  of  game ; 


416  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

and  having  secured  a  supply,  they  slowly  returned  to 
the  main  body,  taking  me  with  them,  much  against 
my  inclination.  At  first  we  could  only  converse  by 
signs ;  and  by  signs  I  endeavored  to  ascertain  if  they 
knew  anything  of  my  fair  companion — but  could  gain 
no  information  to  relieve  my  doubts  and  fears.  I 
could  in  no  manner  determine  whether  Adele  was 
living  or  dead;  and  the  anxiety  I  suffered  on  her 
account,  was  more  terrible  even  than  my  captivity  j 
while  the  two  united  made  me  wretched  indeed. 

As  soon  as  we  had  joined  the  main  body,  a  council 
was  held  to  determine  my  fate  ;  and  the  final  decision 
was,  that  I  should  be  regularly  adopted  into  the  tribe. 
This  occurred  about  three  months  after  my  capture ; 
and  being  by  this  time  able  to  make  use  of  a  few 
words  of  the  Crow  language,  I  protested  against  the 
barbarous  proceeding,  and  endeavored  to  convince  my 
captors,  that,  by  restoring  me  to  my  friends,  the  whites, 
they  would  receive  ample  compensation.  Whether 
they  fully  comprehended  me  or  not,  I  do  not  know ; 
but  all  my  efforts  proved  unavailing ;  and  I  was  forth 
with  subjected  to  the  process  of  having  my  face  and 
head  shaved — leaving  only  a  scalp-lock — and  of  being 
painted,  dressed,  and  decorated  after  the  fashion  of 
the  tribe. 

I  was  now,  in  external  appearance,  an  Indian,  while 
at  heart  I  loathed  the  very  sight  of  them.  I  was 
allowed  the  liberty  of  the  village,  and  even  permitted 
to  go  on  short  hunting  excursions  with  the  warriors — 
but  was  never  to  leave  the  sight  of  certain  parties, 


A    LONG    CAPTIVITY.  417 

whose  duty  and  pleasure  it  was  to  have  charge  of  me. 
They  even  gave  me  a  lodge,  and  offered  me  a  wife ; 
but  the  former  I  was  obliged  to  share  with  my  Indian 
brothers,  and  the  latter  I  positively  declined.  They 
evidently  sought  to  make  me  contented  with  my  new 
home;  but  my  heart  was  far  away,  and  I  determined 
to  effect  my  escape  at  the  first  opportunity.  No 
chance  offered  till  the  deep  snows  of  winter  blocked 
up  the  passage  over  the  mountains,  which  lay  between 
me  and  the  point  I  wished  to  reach ;  and  then,  be 
lieving  my  escape  would  result  in  certain  death,  I 
gave  up  all  thoughts  of  making  the  attempt  before 
the  return  of  the  warm  season. 

Our  winter  camp  was  pitched  in  a  pleasant  valley, 
but  too  far  to  the  north  to  be  clear  of  heavy  storms 
of  sleet  and  snow.  We  had  plenty  of  wood,  skins, 
and  provisions,  however — so  that  we  did  not  suffer 
from  cold  or  hunger — but  unfortunately  the  small 
pox  broke  out  with  great  violence,  and  committed 
terrible  ravages,  fairly  decimating  the  tribe,  and 
taking  off  many  of  the  best  and  bravest  warriors,  with 
no  less  than  four  distinguished  chiefs  and  one  Great 
Medicine.  Until  the  last  event  occurred,  the  tribe 
bore  up  against  the  awful  visitation  with  a  bravery 
and  resignation  worthy  of  more  enlightened  beings ; 
but  no  sooner  passed  the  direful  news,  from  lodge  to 
lodge,  that  a  Great  Master  of  Incantations  had  fallen 
a  victim  to  the  fell  disease,  than  a  fearful  panic  seized 
upon  the  superstitious  savages,  who  rent  the  air  with 
shrieks,  howls,  and  lamentations ;  and  many  even  fled 
25 


418  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

from  the  infected  village,  to  perish  in  the  frozen  wil 
derness. 

I  had,  from  the  commencement  of  the  disease,  up 
to  this  period,  spent  my  time  in  attending  upon  the 
sick,  and  providentially  had  escaped  an  attack  my 
self;  but  this  immunity  from  the  disorder  came  nigh 
proving  fatal  to  me  in  another  manner;  for  it  now 
began  to  be  rumored,  that  I,  being  leagued  with  the 
Evil  Spirit,  had  brought  it  upon  them,  in  revenge  for 
my  captivity;  and  from  the  moment  the  suspicion 
found  utterance,  it  rapidly  grew  into  an  almost  gene 
ral  belief.  Unknown  to  me  at  the  time,  a  secret 
council  was  convened,  to  decide  upon  the  manner  of 
my  death ;  and  but  for  the  opposing  voice  of  an  aged 
chief,  of  superior  intelligence  and  commanding  in 
fluence,  I  should  speedily  have  been  immolated  on 
the  altar  of  barbarous  superstition.  This  chief  had 
always  been  friendly  to  me ;  and  he  now,  with  a 
shrewdness  which  I  have  placed  to  his  credit,  took 
the  only  course  which  could  have  rescued  me  from 
the  designs  of  his  inferior  and  credulous  associates. 
He  cunningly  met  superstition  with  superstition.  He 
rationally  argued,  that  if  their  present  affliction  was 
the  work  of  the  Evil  Spirit,  acting  at  my  instigation, 
the  Evil  Spirit  must  certainly  be  my  friend;  and, 
being  my  friend,  if  they  put  me  to  death,  he  would 
get  angry — and,  instead  of  sweeping  off  a  certain 
portion,  he  would  annihilate  the  whole  tribe.  In 
lieu,  therefore,  of  putting  me  to  death,  he  contended 
they  should  each  and  all  treat  me  with  still  greater 


A    LONG    CAPTIVITY.  419 

respect  and  deference;  which  perceiving,  the  anger 
of  the  Evil  Spirit  would  gradually  become  appeased, 
and  the  progress  of  the  terrible  scourge  would  be 
checked. 

The  result  was,  that  the  council  adopted  and  acted 
upon  this  suggestion;  and  I  suddenly  received  so 
many  marks  of  favor,  as  to  lead  me  to  wonder  con 
cerning  the  cause,  which  the  old  chief  subsequently 
explained  to  me  by  words  and  signs.  Fortunately 
for  the  reputation  of  the  latter,  and  my  own  safety, 
the  pestilence  about  this  period  began  to  abate;  and 
while  he  got  great  credit  for  his  wisdom,  I  came  to 
be  regarded  as  a  something  a  little  more  than  human; 

It  was  in  the  early  part  of  winter  the  pestilence 
began  its  ravages ;  and  about  two  months  from  that 
time  it  gradually  disappeared.  Some  few  who  were 
attacked,  recovered ;  but  the  majority  died,  and  were 
buried  in  the  deep  snow,  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
village;  which  was  soon  after  removed  to  an  adjacent 
valley,  on  the  opposite  side  of  an  intervening  hill. 
Here,  the  tribe  being  blessed  with  general  health,  the 
winter  amusements  began  in  earnest.  Feasting,  danc 
ing,  and  different  kinds  of  athletic  sports,  followed 
each  other  in  rapid  succession — in  all  of  which  I  gen 
erally  took  a  prominent  part — though,  it  must  be  con 
fessed,  with  no  great  liking  for  some  of  the  barbarous 
exercises.  Wrestling,  leaping,  running,  jumping, 
throwing  the  spear  and  tomahawk,  and  shooting  with 
the  bow  at  a  target,  were  healthy,  exciting,  and  not 
unpleasant  sports,  in  which  I  freely  indulged,  and 


420  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

occasionally  bore  off  the  palm ;  but  the  hunting,  war, 
scalp,  and  other  dances,  were  to  me  horrible  mum 
meries,  arousing  no  emotions  save  loathing  and  dis 
gust.  I  was  too  politic,  however,  to  let  this  appear ; 
for  I  contemplated  making  my  escape  the  following 
summer ;  and  to  effect  this,  I  knew  it  was  essential  to 
induce  a  general  belief  that  I  had  become  attached  to 
my  new  home,  and  no  longer  had  any  desire  to  return 
to  my  friends  and  civilization. 

The  snow  remained  upon  the  ground  till  late  in  the 
spring,  and  then  the  general  hunt  for  game  began  in 
earnest.  Select  parties  went  out  in  different  direc 
tions;  and,  after  an  absence  of  a  few  days,  all  re 
turned,  bringing  in  a  supply  of  flesh,  of  the  bear, 
deer,  antelope,  elk,  and  mountain -goat.  I  accom 
panied  one  of  these  parties,  in  the  hope  of  finding  an 
opportunity  to  escape  ;  but  was  forced  to  return,  dis 
appointed  and  disheartened — though  I  took  care  to 
conceal  my  real  feelings,  and  to  appear  cheerful  and 
contented.  A  month  later,  just  as  the  Indians  were 
about  to  pull  up  the  stakes  of  their  movable  lodges, 
and  migrate  to  the  south,  I  found  a  chance  to  get  into 
the  great  forest  alone,  armed  with  a  knife,  tomahawk, 
bow,  and  quiver  of  arrows.  It  was  the  first  time, 
since  my  capture,  that  I  had  been  able  to  look  around 
me,  and  not,  at  some  point,  either  near  or  far,  encoun 
ter  the  lynx  eyes  of  a  savage — and  it  may  readily  be 
believed  I  made  the  most  of  my  good  fortune.  But  it 
was  not  yet  my  good  fortune  to  get  clear  of  my  bar- 
barious  friends,  with  all  my  endeavors ;  for  after  run- 


A    LONG    CAPTIVITY.  421 

ning  for  hours,  till  overcome  with  fatigue,  I  stopped 
to  rest ;  and  was  then  and  there  overtaken,  and  again 
made  prisoner  by  a  party  that  had  followed  on  my 
trail. 

Although  my  mind  was  not  in  an  enviable  state 
when  I  saw  them  approaching  me,  I  suppressed  all 
show  of  surprise,  and  gave  them  to  understand  that 
I  had  merely  been  hunting  on  my  own  account. 
They  affected  to  believe  me,  but  took  good  care  not 
to  let  me  try  the  same  experiment  again,  at  least  for 
a  long  time. 

During  the  summer,  the  whole  tribe — men,  women 
and  children,  with  their  tents  and  movables,  dogs, 
horses,  and  cattle — went  as  far  south  as  the  Black 
Hills;  and  the  most  expert  hunters  scoured  the 
forests,  and  occasionally  ventured  out  upon  the 
prairies;  and  the  skins  and  furs  they  brought  in, 
were  dressed  and  prepared  for  a  civilized  market  by 
the  women,  and  the  meat  dried  and  packed  for  win 
ter  use.  I  had  doubtless  lost  their  confidence  by  my 
first  attempt  at  freedom — for  they  no  longer  per 
mitted  me  to  go  abroad  with  the  warriors — but  con 
fined  me  to  the  main  village,  and  compelled  me  to 
assist  the  squaws  in  their  drudgery — though,  in  every 
other  respect,  I  was  still  treated  as  an  equal,  and 
allowed  to  retain  my  weapons. 

The  mental  torture  I  now  continually  suffered,  I 
would  not,  if  I  could,  inflict  upon  an  implacable 
enemy;  and  yet,  withal,  I  strove  to  appear  cheerful 
and  contented.  By  night  and  by  day,  awake  or 


422  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

asleep,,  the  images  of  my  friends  were  ever  present 
to  my  mental  vision;  but  I  looked  upon  them  as 
beings  I  might  never  behold  with  the  material  eye. 
My  dear  parents — were  they  living  or  dead?  If 
living,  what  sufferings  must  be  theirs,  caused  by  my 
boyish  rashnesss  and  folly!  and  was  not  my  own 
wretched  condition  a  judgment  upon  me  for  an  act 
akin  to  filial  disobedience?  And  Varney — noble 
Varney — was  he  still  upon  the  earth?  or  had  he 
breathed  his  last  in  lonely  solitude,  thinking  that  I, 
who  loved  him  as  a  brother,  had  forgot  my  solemn 
promise,  and  returned  to  civilization  without  bidding 
him  another  farewell  ?  And  last,  though  not  least  in 
my  affections,  sweet,  beautiful  Adele — what  of  her? 
Where  now  was  her  light  and  springing  form,  her 
soft,  dark  eyes,  and  her  musical  voice?  We  had 
together  seen  sorrow,  mingled  with  happiness — and 
our  souls  had  seemed  as  one  soul,  cemented  by  un 
dying  love — but  should  we  ever  meet  again  in  this 
world  of  change  ?  Had  she  escaped  the  dangers  of 
the  mountains,  to  pass  the  remainder  of  her  days 
among  the  people  of  her  race?  was  she  a  lonely, 
hopeless  prisoner  of  some  savage  tribe?  or  had  death 
given  to  her  pure  spirit  the  freedom  of  the  holy  in 
telligences  to  whom  she  had  so  often  and  earnestly 
appealed  through  a  sincere  and  happy  faith? 

I  will  not  dwell  upon  my  captivity,  nor  the  tortures 
I  endured.  I  have  labored  in  vain  to  give  the  reader 
an  idea  of  myself,  if  he  has  now  to  be  assured,  that, 
torn  away  from  civilization,  deprived  of  my  freedom 


A    LONG    CAPTIVITY.  423 

and  of  all  I  loved  on  earth,  I  could  see  one  nappy 
moment;  and  to  inflict  upon  him  a  tithe  of  my 
misery,  would,  to  say  the  least,  be  an  uncharitable 
act,  and  could  serve  no  good  purpose.  That  my 
health  gradually  failed,  through  secret  grief  and 
mental  excitement,  it  may  be  proper  to  state ;  and 
when,  at  the  close  of  summer,  I  again  accompanied 
the  tribe  to  their  home  at  the  north,  it  was  with  the 
conviction,  that,  unless  I  soon  secured  the  liberty  I 
pined  for,  my  body  would  ere  long  take  its  last  rest, 

"  Unknelled,  uncoffined,  and  unknown," 

many  thousand  miles  from  the  land  of  my  nativity. 

The  Indians  had  once  more  reached  their  winter 
quarters,  and  I  was  standing  one  fine,  autumnal 
night,  outside  of  my  lodge,  pondering  on  my  misery, 
when  suddenly  the  conviction  flashed  upon  me,  that 
if  I  were  to  attempt  my  escape  then  I  should  be 
successful.  I  had  been  shooting  at  a  target  that  day, 
•and  still  had  my  bow  in  my  hand,  and  my  quiver 
contained  a  dozen  arrows — and  feeling  at  my  wam 
pum  girdle,  I  found  my  knife  in  its  sheath.  Without 
waiting  to  consider  the  chances,  as  I  had  always  done 
before,  I  immediately  set  off;  and  walking  leisurely 
through  the  village,  and  passing  several  warriors,  I 
quietly  descended  to  a  clear,  mountain  stream,  as  if 
with  the  intention  of  filling  my  gourd.  The  moment 
I  reached  the  stream,  I  entered  the  water,  and  hurried 
away  to  the  north,  impelled  by  an  impulse  for  which 


424  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

I  could  not  account,  and  scarcely  able  to  realize 
myself  that  I  was  actually  trying  to  effect  my  escape. 

I  continued  in  the  bed  of  the  stream  for  a  couple  of 
hours ;  and  hearing  no  sound  of  pursuit,  I  began  to 
tremble  with  hope  and  fear ;  and  to  such  a  degree, 
that  I  was  obliged  to  sit  down  and  rest  my  quivering 
nerves.  What  could  it  mean  ?  Was  I  really  des 
tined  to  escape,  after  all  ?  The  bare  hope  seemed  to 
open  to  my  mental  view  the  joys  and  beauties  of 
Elysium  ;  while  the  fear  of  failure  the  next  moment 
sent  the  blood  curdling  to  my  heart. 

In  the  boldness  of  my  attempt,  I  think,  lay  its  suc 
cess.  The  Indians,  who  saw  me  going  quietly  to  the 
stream  as  was  my  wont,  could  have  had  no  suspicion 
of  my  design ;  and  in  this  way  I  gained  a  start,  under 
cover  of  darkness,  which  I  could  have  done  in  no 
other  manner.  By  keeping  in  the  stream,  too,  I  left 
no  trail  for  them  to  follow;  and  by  going  north  in 
stead  of  south,  I  added  to  my  chances  of  escape — as 
they  would  naturally  suppose  I  had  taken  the  most 
direct  route  toward  civilization. 

How  much  time  elapsed  after  my  departure,  before 
they  began  to  search  for  me,  I  do  not  know — but  I 
heard  nothing  from  them  during  the  night.  After 
gaining,  in  some  degree,  my  natural  composure,  I 
again  set  forward,  keeping  along  the  bed  of  the 
stream,  the  water  of  which  seldom  rose  above  my 
knees.  In  this  manner  I  struggled  onward  till  the 
gray  of  morn — when,  to  my  great  delight,  I  discovered 
a  hollow  tree,  with  a  limb  projecting  over  the  babbling 


A     LONG    CAPTIVITY.  425 

stream,  within  my  reach.  I  seized  hold  of  it,  drew 
myself  up,  and  found  the  hollow  large  enough  to 
secrete  me,  but  without  giving  me  space  to  turn  or 
change  my  position. 

In  this  narrow  aperture,  and  painful  attitude,  I 
remained  through  the  day;  but  before  night  I  was 
much  alarmed  by  hearing  a  small  party  pass  in 
search  of  me.  I  heard  and  understood  enough  of 
their  conversation,  to  learn  that  they  already  began 
to  suspect  I  had  been  spirited  away  by  the  Great 
Power  of  Darkness — and  that  if  the  party  who  had 
gone  in  an  opposite  direction  did  not  bring  me  back, 
they  would  consider  further  search  useless.  This 
gave  me  courage  and  hope ;  but  I  trembled  like  an 
aspen,  lest  some  keen  eye  should  fasten  upon  my 
retreat  and  discover  me  at  the  last  moment.  Provi 
dence  favored  me,  however ;  and  just  as  the  sun  was 
setting,  I  heard  them  pass  on  their  return,  muttering 
their  superstitious  belief  and  disappointment. 

As  soon  as  darkness  had  settled  over  the  earth,  I 
crept  out  from  my  concealment,  like  a  wild  beast  from 
his  lair,  and,  lowering  myself  into  the  water,  con 
tinued  my  journey  toward  the  north,  leaving  no  trail 
behind.  I  had  now  been  twenty-four  hours  without 
food ;  but  a  bright  hope  animated  me,  and  I  struggled 
forward  through  another  night ;  and  at  daylight  I 
climbed  a  tree  and  rested  in  its  thick  branches. 
Hungry,  weary  and  faint,  I  fell  asleep,  and  gained  a 
few  hours  of  peaceful  rest — which  in  some  degree 
renewed  my  strength.  When  I  awoke,  I  found  the 


426  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

sun  had  passed  meridian ;  and  resolving  to  change 
my  course,  press  forward,  and,  if  possible,  procure 
food,  I  descended  to  the  ground,  turned  away  from 
the  stream,  and  struck  off  through  a  deep  forest,  in 
an  easterly  direction. 

Though  in  the  autumn  of  the  year,  the  days  and 
nights  had  been  unusually  mild  for  the  last  week, 
and  continued  so  for  a  week  longer — which  was  very 
fortunate  for  me — as,  otherwise,  I  must  have  suffered 
from  cold,  especially  during  the  two  nights  I  spent  in 
going  down  the  bed  of  the  stream.  Keeping  on  an 
easterly  course  till  near  sunset,  without  meeting  with 
any  incident  to  give  me  fresh  cheer,  I  was  beginning 
to  despair  at  the  gloomy  prospect  of  passing  another 
night  without  food,  when,  ascending  a  covered  hill,  I 
was  delighted,  even  to  agitation,  at  perceiving  three 
or  four  deer  just  below  me,  quietly  licking  the  white 
crust  of  a  saline  spring.  I  had  during  my  captivity 
become  so  expert  with  the  bow,  that  ordinarily  I 
should  have  thought  nothing  of  sending  an  arrow,  at 
the  distance  these  animals  were  from  me,  into  a  target 
the  size  of  my  hand ;  but  now  I  trembled  so  much, 
with  hope  and  fear,  as  to  doubt  if  I  could  hit  a  larger 
body  than  my  own. 

However,  I  kept  as  quiet  as  I  could,  and  summoned 
all  my  will  to  steady  my  nerves ;  and  fixing  an  arrow 
to  my  bow,  I  suddenly  drew  it  to  its  head,  and  let  it 
fly  with  a  loud  twang.  To  my  unspeakable  joy,  I 
saw  it  pass,  true  to  my  aim,  and  bury  itself  in  the 
body  of  one  of  the  harmless  animals,  which  gave  a 


A    LONG    CAPTIVITY.  427 

sudden  bound  forward,  and  fell  quivering  upon  the 
earth.  I  instantly  darted  forward,  with  a  velocity 
scarcely  excelled  by  its  flying  companions,  and  the 
next  moment  my  knife  was  at  its  throat,  and  the  beau 
tiful  deer  was  my  prize.  Overpowered  with  joyful 
emotions,  and  a  sudden  relaxation  of  my  physical  sys 
tem,  I  sunk  down  by  its  side — gazed  upon  it  as  the 
Peri  looked  through  the  gates  of  Paradise  when  she 
brought  the  accepted  tear  of  repentance — and  humbly 
and  devoutly  thanked  God  for  all  his  mercies  and 
blessings.  Need  I  add  that  I  feasted  that  night? 
though  I  cut  the  flesh  from  the  deer  ere  it  was  cold 
and  devoured  it  in  its  raw  state. 

It  is  not  rny  intention  to  give  a  detailed  account  of 
my  lonely  wanderings,  over  mountains,  through  for 
ests,  and  across  streams,  and  all  in  the  unpeopled  soli 
tudes  of  nature,  till  I  once  more  beheld  the  face  of  a 
white  man.  Let  fancy  picture  me,  in  the  costume  of 
a  savage,  encountering,  for  a  month,  all  the  vicissi 
tudes  and  perils  of  a  lonely  journey,  through  a  rough, 
howling  wilderness,  seeking  food  where  I  could  find 
it,  continually  on  the  alert  for  danger,  and  sleeping  in 
tree-tops,  and  in  caves,  and  often  suffering  from  cold, 
hunger,  and  fatigue — let  fancy,  I  say,  keep  me  before 
the  mental  vision  for  a  long,  weary  month — and  then, 
if  it  can,  let  fancy  portray  my  feelings,  when  I  met 
•with  the  adventure  I  am  now  going  to  narrate. 


428  THE    BORDER    ROVEB. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A    WONDERFUL    SURPRISE. 

I  HAD  reached,  in  a  tolerably  good  bodily  condition, 
a  certain  portion  of  that  range  of  mountains  known  as 
the  Three  Parks — when,  about  noon  one  day,  having 
ascended  a  high,  steep  hill,  I  looked  down  into  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  valleys  I  had  ever  seen.  This 
valley,  some  two  or  three  miles  in  length,  by  some 
half  a  mile  in  breadth,  was  completely  walled  in 
by  mountains,  save  a  narrow  aperture  at  either 
end,  where  a  clear  stream  of  water,  flowing  quietly 
through  its  centre,  found  its  inlet  and  outlet.  Over 
this  smooth,  level  surface,  were  scattered  various 
kinds  of  trees,  which  seemed  to  have  been  planted 
at  measured  distances  from  each  other ;  and  though 
the  frosts  of  the  season  had  crisped  and  killed  the 
leaves  on  the  highest  elevations,  and  the  winds  had 
scattered  them  over  the  earth — leaving  giant  trunks 
and  bare  branches  to  stretch  gloomily  upward,  as  it 
were,  to  the  very  heavens — yet  here  no  rude  finger 
of  autumn  had  been  laid,  and  the  enchanting  valley 
appeared  like  a  brilliant  emerald  in  a  brown  setting. 
I  could  scarcely  credit  my  senses.  Green  leaf,  green 
blade,  gay  flowers,  with  a  stream  of  silvery  sheen, 
were  quietly  reposing  in  the  bright  light  of  a  noon 
day  sun ;  while  birds  of  many  hues,  which  belonged 


A    WONDERFUL    SURPRISE.  429 

to  a  more  southern  clime,  were  fluttering,  and  flying, 
and  trilling  the  songs  of  spring  throughout  the  un 
rivalled  scene. 

"This  should  have  been  the  Garden  of  Eden," 
mused  I,  as  I  picked  my  way  down  the  steep  moun 
tain  side,  resolved  to  spend  one  night,  at  least,  in  a 
spot  over  which,  as  it  seemed,  the  Spirit  of  Nature 
had  passed  the  wand  of  enchantment. 

I  reached  the  valley  at  the  point  where  the  stream 
took  its  leave  between  high,  precipitous  rocks,  and 
went  foaming  downward  around  a  sharp  angle,  but 
where  from  my  position  I  could  no  longer  follow  it 
with  my  eye.  Here  I  stopped  to  gaze,  to  wonder, 
and  to  admire ;  and  folding  my  arms  upon  my  breast,  I 
was  just  beginning  to  lose  myself  in  a  pleasing  reve 
rie — with  my  eyes  delightedly  fixed  upon  the  green 
leaves,  and  grass,  and  bright  flowers,  while  my  ears 
drank  in  the  music  of  birds  and  rushing  waters — when 
I  was  suddenly  startled  by  a  rough  voice  exclaiming : 

"  I  say,  old  scalp-lock,  hyer's  a  beaver  as  ginerally 

gins  every  peaceable  looking  red  nigger  fu'r 

warning — but  arter  that,  he's  jest  got  to  take  car'  of 
his  ha'r  hisself — chaw  me !" 

I  looked  up,  and  no  language  can  describe  my 
feelings,  as  my  eyes  rested  upon  the  never-to-be-for 
gotten  features  of  One-Eyed  Sam.  He  was  standing 
on  the  hill-side,  some  twenty  yards  distant,  his  body 
covered  by  a  tree,  his  neck  stretched  out  so  as  to  give 
a  full  view  of  his  face,  and  with  his  long,  unerring 
rifle  to  his  shoulder  and  its  muzzle  toward  my  breast. 


480  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

I  was  so  excited,  that  for  a  few  moments  I  could  not 
speak — while  my  lips  quivered,  and  every  limb 
trembled  with  emotion. 

"You're  a  orful  skeered  nigger,  anyhow  !"  he  mut 
tered  ;  "  and  this  hyer  old  coon  don't  know  whether 
to  let  you  slide,  or  put  lead  into  your  meat-trap." 

"  Sam !"  I  yelled  at  length :  "  Sam  !  God  bless  you, 
old  fellow  !  would  you  shoot  a  friend  ?" 

Sam  dropped  his  rifle  with  an  oath,  and  never  before 
nor  since  did  I  witness  such  an  expression  of  surprise 
and  amazement  as  gathered  upon  his  deeply  seamed 
countenance.  It  appeared  as  if  he  could  not  credit 
his  senses  ;  and  without  changing  his  position,  he  re 
mained  staring  at  me,  with  his  one  eye  dilated  to  its 
greatest  dimensions,  and  his  mouth  dropped  ajar,  as 
if  struck  dumb  in  the  very  act  of  speaking.  What 
with  my  long  captivity,  my  long  journey  through  an 
unknown  wilderness,  constant  peril,  anxiety,  and 
fatigue,  it  may  readily  be  believed  I  was  in  no  very 
jocund  condition ;  but  the  man  who  could  have  looked 
upon  the  serio-comical  face  of  Sam  Botter  without 
laughing,  might  with  propriety  be  hired  out  as  a 
mourner,  or  be  apprenticed  to  an  undertaker.  As  for 
myself,  I  was  obliged  to  take  a  seat  and  hold  my 
sides  for  at  least  two  minutes ;  at  the  end  of  which 
time  I  found  Sam  standing  by  my  side,  looking  almost 
as  much  puzzled  as  ever.  At  length,  uttering  a  sound, 
something  between  the  yell  of  an  Indian  and  the 
screech  of  a  steam-whistle,  he  exclaimed: 

"  Ef  it  ain't  Freshwater,  transmogrified  to  a  pig- tail 


A    WONDERFUL    SURPRISE.  431 

lujin,  may  I  be  chawed  up  to  allergators ! — wagh  I 
liagh!  wagh!" 

"  It  is  me,  sure  enough,  Sam,  my  old  fellow!"  cried 
I,  jumping  up  and  grasping  his  hard  hand,  which  I 
shook  with  a  vigor. 

"And  a  purty  looking  beast  you  is,  too — 

wagh  1  hagh !  wagh  1"  roared  the  old  trapper,  now 
taking  his  turn  at  my  expense.  "  Why,  your  own 
mother  wouldn't  know  ye  from  a  painted  babboon — 
wagh!  hagh!  wagh!  Ef  she  would  now,  ohaw  this 
hyer  old  One-Eyed  up  for  a  liar — wagh!  hagh! 
wagh !"  and  Sam  laid  down  and  rolled. 

I  waited  as  patiently  as  I  could,  till  his  merriment 
had  subsided;  and  then  inquired,  with  tremulous 
anxiety : 

"  Sam,  what  of  my  friends  ?  speak !  are  they  living 
or  dead?" 

"  Let  me  git  my  breath,  Freshwater — let  this  hyer 
old  nigger  git  his  breath ;  and  while  I'm  gitting  it, 
jest  tell  me  whar  you  come  from,  anyhow,  with  them 
thar  skins,  paint  and  pig-tail! — wagh!  hagh!  wagh!" 

"  I  have  been,  for  more  than  a  year,  a  prisoner 
among  the  Crows;  and  a  month  ago,  almost  miracu 
lously,  I  effected  my  escape." 

"  You  look  like  you'd  been  a  scare-crow  to  crows 
— wagh  !  hagh !  wagh !"  roared  Sam. 

"Come,  come,"  said  I,  seriously;  " reserve  your 
merriment  for  some  more  fitting  occasion,  and  an 
swer  me  truly:  Do  you  know  any  thing  of  my 
friends?" 


432  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Wall,  who  d'ye  mean?" 

"  First,  do  you  know  anything  of  the  girl  whom 
we  went  to  rescue  ?" 

"  I  knowed  some'at  to  her  a  year  ago." 

"  Speak !  for  the  love  of  Heaven !  did  she  escape  ? 
is  she  alive  ?" 

"  She  got  to  St.  Train's  alive." 

"  She  did  ?"  cried  I :  "say  that  again  !" 

"  She  did,  Freshwater — chaw  me  !" 

"  Thank  God !  thank  God !"  cried  I,  with  wild  ex 
citement.  "  And  now  ? — speak  of  her  now ! — is  she 
living  ?" 

"  Don't  know  nothing  agin  it,"  said  Sam. 

u  She  was  saved,  then!  she  was  saved,  poor  girl!" 
I  rejoined,  almost  overpowered  with  emotion. 

"  Wall,  yes — rayther — expect  she  war,"  rejoined 
Better,  with  a  peculiar  look,  which  seemed  to  imply 
that  he  had  left  something  untold. 

"Speak,  Sam!"  cried  I,  earnestly — "  has  anything 
gone  wrong  with  her  of  late  ?" 

"  I  goes  under  thar,  Freshwater — case  this  hyer  old 
beaver  don't  know  everything." 

"Is  she  at  St.  Train's  now  ?" 

"  Nary  once." 

"How  long  did  she  remain  there?  where  did  she 
goon  leaving?  where  is  she  now?  Come,  quick — 
that  is  a  good  fellow — answer  me !  tell  me  all  you 
know !" 

"Freshwater,"    returned    Botter,    with    emphatic 


A    WONDERFUL    SURPRISE.  433 

deliberation,  "  old  One-Eyed  sees  how  it  ar' ;  you  jest 
love  that  thar  gal  a  heap !" 

"  Well,  suppose  I  do  ?" 

"  Can't  blame  you  much,  expect — fur  ef  she  warn't 
a  screamer,  then  I'm  a  liar  I  Augh !" 

"  Well,  go  on !  go  on !" 

Sam  appeared  to  be  very  minutely  inspecting  the 
lock  of  his  rifle,  as  he  continued  : 

"  Freshwater,  you  knows  this  hyer  old  coon  tuk  to 
you  from  the  word  go — you  knows  that  thar  is  truth, 
plum  center — hey,  boy  ?" 

"  Yes,  you  said  so,  and  I  have  had  no  reason  to 
think  otherwise  since.  But  what  has  all  this  to  do 
with  my  questions  ?" 

"  Why,  you  see,  (hesitating  and  squinting  along 
the  barrel  of  his  rifle,)  I  hate  to  hurt  your  feelings — 
ef  I  don't,  just  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar !" 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  speak !  and  let  me  have  the 
worst !"  cried  I,  becoming  greatly  excited. 

"Wall,  the  wost  it  is,  I  jest  does  believe;  fur 
this  hyer  old  nigger  has  heerd  tell,  that  when  a 
feller's  plum  in  up  to  his  eyes  in  love,  ef  his  gal 
plays  tricky,  it  al'ays  fotches  him  all  of  a  heap — 
leastways  that's  what  them  says  as  knows  more'n 
old  One-Eyed  'bout  sich  things.  Augh !" 

"  Sam,"  cried  I,  "  you  will  get  me  half  crazy  before 
I  learn  your  serious  news." 

"  Kim  down  then,  Freshwater,  and  take  a  wet — that's 
the  thing  to  make  a  feller  spunky — and  hyer's  one 
what  speaks  from  experience.  I've  got  a  shanty 
26 


434  THE    BOKDEK    KOVEK. 

down  the  stream  a  bit,  and  thar's  more'n  a  quart  of 
the  ginewine  left — chaw  me !" 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  speak  at  once,  and  relieve  me 
of  this  suspense!  What  has  happened  to  Adele?" 

"  Best  take  a  wet  fust." 

"  I  never  drink  spirits." 

"  Oh,  yes— I'd  forgot.  Wall,  ef  you  thinks  as  how 
you  kin  hear  it,  and  not  spile,  hyer's  in." 

"Yes,  yes — proceed  I" 

"You  remember  the  Greaser  Cap'in?"* 

"  El  Doliente?  yes !     Did  he  escape  ?" 

"  'Spose  I  begin  back  to  whar  you  stepped  out,  and 
fotch  up  squar  ?" 

"  Be  brief  then." 

"  Yoa  remember  the  old  hoss  kim  up,  right  side  up, 
beautiful,  arter  he'd  been  knocked  flat  to  lightning?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Wall,  arter  all  the  rest  of  you  fellers  had  put  out 
afoot,  to  hunt  up  the  critters,  I  jest  got  on  to  old  Zig 
zag's  back,  and  rid  around  proud — ef  I  didn't,  why  is 
burners  skinned  ?  I  soon  diskivered  the  Cap'in,  and 
his  big,  black,  woolly  nigger,  puffing  and  blowing 
arter  a  hoss  ;  and  I  says,  *  Git  up  hyer,  Cap'in — fur 
hyer's  a  critter  as  stands  chain  lightning  beautiful — 
and  so  in  course  us  two  can't  faze  him — nary  once — 
chaw  me !'  Wall,  to  hurry  on — fur  I  sees  you  is 
anxious — the  Cap'in  got  on,  and  me  and  him  rid  till 

*  Mexicans  and  Spaniards,  are,  in  contempt,  termed  Greasers 
by  the  border  men. 


A    WONDERFUL    SURPRISE.  435 

we  cotched  his  hoss ;  and  then  we  tuk  a  divide,  and 
made  a  tall  break  for  the  nigger's  hoss.  We'd  jest 
got  his'n,  and  war  going  it  powerful  fur  t'others,  when 
we  seed  the  Injins  coming  like  mad,  and  we  held  up 
to  do  the  ginteel.  Our  fellers  was  scattered,  you 
know — and  the  Injins  scattered  to  take  em — and  we 
went  in  arter  the  red  niggers ;  and  it  war  jest  the  cu- 

riousest  mixed  up mess  you  ever  seed,  else  you 

kin  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar.  Augh  ! 

"Wall,  to  cut  the  facts  plum  down,  the  gist  on't's 
thishyer:  We  throwed  two  Injins,  and  seed  three 
whites  lose  thar  ha'r ;  and  arter  this,  all  the  rest  being 
nowhars,  we  put  out  fur  tall  timber.  The  next  night 
the  infarnal  imps  stole  our  hosses — and  we  had  to 

take  it  afoot  to  the  hills — and  a long,  nice,  purty 

tramp  we  had  on't.  Somehow  we  missed  St.  Train's, 
and  struck  the  Black  Hills  above;  and  while  we  was 
hunting  our  way  down,  we  run  agin  a  white  gal, 
who'd  jest  sot  down  to  make  a  die  on't.  Now  when 
this  hyer  gal  told  us  who  she  war — how  she  and  you 
had  got  away  from  the  red  niggers — and  how  she'd 
left  you  dying,  the  day  afore,  up  to  some  cave,  or  so'- 
thing — you  kin  gamble  high  on  to  it,  Freshwater,  that 
our  eyes  kim  rolling  out  like  peeled  inyuns." 

"  Then  you  found  Adele  in  the  forest  ?" 

"  We  didn't  do  nothing  shorter." 

"  And  in  a  dying  state?" 

"Reckon  she'd  hev  gone  under  that  night,  ef  we 
hadn't  put  deer  meat  into  her." 


436  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"Poor  Adele !  how  she  must  have  suffered!"  ex 
claimed  I.  "  But  go  on  with  your  story." 

"  Wall,  in  course  we  went  in  fur  finding  you,  dead 
or  alive ;  and  the  next  day  we  done  some  tall  walking, 
taking  the  gal's  back'ard  trail.  We  didn't  find  the 
place  that  day,  though — and  I  reckoned  the  little 
critter'd  cry  her  eyes  clean  out  afore  morning — she 
tuk  it  so  bad.  Next  day  arter  that,  we  did  find  the 
hole  in  the  rocks;  and  the  gal  rushed  in  like  mad ; 
and  howled  powerful,  when  she  found  you  warn't 
thar ;  though  you  kin  gamble  on  to  it,  that  she's  got 
over  all  that  thar  afore  this,  or  else  this  hyer  old 
nigger  is  one  of  the  liars.  Augh !" 

"  Sam !"  cried  I,  somewhat  angrily — "  what  do  you 
mean  by  these  insinuations  ?  Speak  out,  like  a  man, 
and  let  me  hear  the  worst !" 

"  Wall,  to  fotch  it  plum  down  to  a  pint,  then,  Fresh 
water,  that  thar  gal  tuk  on  powerful  about  you  fur 
weeks;  and  then  she  got  right  thick  with  the  Cap'in; 
and  ef  thar  war  a  chance  fur  you  arter  that,  as  big  as 
a  gooseberry,  old  One-Eyed  couldn't  diskiver  it — 
chaw  me !" 

"  She  became  interested  in  El  Doliente,  did  she  ?" 

"You  kin  gamble  on  to  it,  Freshwater.  He  jest 
tuk  to  her  from  the  word  go,  like  a  hawk  does  to  a 
chicken ;  and  arter  a  while  she  gin  in,  and  they  went 
off  together." 

"  The  villain !"  I  ejaculated.  "  Now  I  can  under 
stand  why  he  was  so  anxious  to  rescue  her  from  the 
Indians — and  why  he  spent  his  money  so  generously 


A    WONDERFUL    SURPRISE.  437 

in  fitting  out  the  expedition.  The  black-hearted 
villain  1  would  to  Heaven  I  had  him  within  reach 
of  this  arm  I" 

"  Says  I,"  pursued  Botter,  "  when  I  seed  him  talk 
ing  private  to  her,  and  sneaking  about  wharsomever 
she  put  her  purty  foot — says  I,  '  Sam,  you  old  one- 
eyed  gentleman,  don't  you  wish  Freshwater  war  hyer 

to    spile  this   fun? — hey,  boy? — and  gin  that  

Greaser  h — 1? — hey,  boy?' — and  Sam  said,  'yes,  he 
did !'  and  we'd  agreed  together — me  and  Sam  had — 
that  ef  you  kim  to  life,  afore  it  war  too  late,  we'd 
pitch  old  Greaser  into  the  drink." 

"  And  Adele  went  off  with  him?" 

"  She  did,  hoss." 

"Willingly?" 

"  Looked  that  thar  way." 

"  It  cannot  be  she  has  proved  false  to  me !"  said  I, 
rapidly  recalling  one  scene  after  another  of  the  past. 

"  No,  I  don't  think  as  how  the  gal  meant  to  hurt 
your  feelings— nary  once  I"  pursued  Sam,  consolingly; 
"  but,  you  see,  Freshwater,  she  thought  you  war  dead, 
like  all  the  rest  on  us  did:  yes— chaw  me!" 

"  Poor,  friendless,  alone  in  the  world,  perhaps  she 
was  not  so  much  to  blame !"  sighed  I. 

"  She  war  nothing  partickelar  oncommon  to  me," 
said  Sam,  with  a  grave  shake  of  the  head ;  "  that  is,  I 
mean,  she  warn't  no  relation,  nor  nothing— and  it 
wouldn't  hev  done  fur  old  One-Eyed  to  interfere  jest 
fur  a  dead  friend,  you  see — fur  we'd  all  gin  in  as  how 
you  was  rubbed  out  to  painters,  or  some'at  to  that 


438  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

sort:  else,  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar,  and  bile  me  turkey- 
buzzards  fur  high  feeding,  ef  I  wouldn't  hev  wiped 
him  out,  afore  he'd  hev  tuk  her  a  mile  without  mar 
rying  !  and  a  marrying  preacher  into  the  fort  to  that  1 
Augh!  augh!" 

"  Gracious  Heaven,  Sam !"  cried  I,  grasping  his  arm ; 
"you  do  not  surely  mean  — 

"  Wall,  thar,  boy — thar  now — never  mind  this  hyer 
time,  Freshwater !"  returned  Better,  soothingly,  as  I 
paused,  unable  to  finish  the  sentence.  "I  told  you 
you'd  best  tuk  a  wet  fust — case  you  is  weak  and 
thin — and  haint  eat  nothing  to-day,  I'll  gamble  my 
rifle  gin  a  pint;  and  when  a  feller's  hungry,  and 
weak  like,  he  haint  got  a  good  stomach  to  bad  news 
— nary  once — chaw  me!  Augh!  Kim,  let's  go  down 
to  my  shanty  and  hev  a  feed ;  and  arter  that  we'P 
talk  agin,  sensible." 

The  terrible  suspicions  which  Botter's  words  excited 
— together  with  my  weak  condition,  and  the  differ 
ent  emotions  I  had  experienced  within  the  hour — 
completely  overpowered  me ;  and  I  sunk  down  upon 
the  earth,  feeling  more  miserable  and  wretched  than 
I  had  ever  felt  before,  and  sincerely  regretting  I  had 
lived  to  find  my  faith  in  humanity  destroyed.  I  then 
believed  I  could  have  heard  of  Adele's  death,  and 
borne  the  blow,  as  a  dispensation  of  Heaven,  with 
something  like  Christian  fortitude  and  resignation ; 
but  to  think  that  the  being  I  loved  had  fallen — that 
an  angel  of  purity  had  surrounded  herself  with  a  dark 
cloud  of  sin,  which  would  shut  her  for  ever  from  the 


A    WONDEEFUL    SUEPRISE.  439 

holy  light  of  Paradise — was  a  something  too  horrible 
to  cross  my  brain,  in  my  weak  state,  and  permit  me 
to  conduct  myself  as  a  rational  being  should.  I  was 
not  completely  insane — at  least  I  had  a  consciousness 
of  my  misery,  and  the  evil  at  work  within  me — but 
my  brain  felt  as  if  it  were  on  fire ;  and  I  jumped  up, 
and  beat  my  head  with  my  fists,  and  might  have  torn 
my  hair,  had  I  found  any  within  my  grasp.  Sam  was 
evidently  much  alarmed,  and  tried  to  calm  and  soothe 
me — but  all  in  vain,  till  he  struck  a  chord  whose 
vibrations  were  felt  in  my  inmost  soul,  and  which  had 
the  effect  to  instantly  change  the  whole  current  of  my 
thoughts,  and  seemingly  my  very  nature. 

"  This  is  foolish,  boy — downright  goosey,  as  I'm  a 
gintleman !"  he  said,  among  other  things ;  "  and  ef  I 
was  you,  I'd  keep  my  strength,  and  my  temper,  till  I'd 
got  the  villain  hisself  to  pummel,  instead  of  my  own 
noddle — I  would — chaw  me !" 

"  Ha !  revenge  1"  shouted  I — "  revenge  !  I  thank 
you  for  the  suggestion,  Sam !" 

"Yes,  revenge,  ef  you  like  it,  Freshwater!"  he 

cried — "  revenge  on  the villain  as  has  done  you 

mischief! — anything,  by !  'cept  butting  your  own 

brains  out  fur  him  to  laugh  at.  Augh  1" 

"  Yes,"  continued  I,  "  I  will  live  for  revenge !  I 
will  pursue  this  villain  to  the  end  of  the  earth,  or 
until  I  find  him;  and  when  found,  though  kneeling 
before  the  sacred  altar,  I  will  drag  him  from  it,  and 
the  fearful  account  between  us  shall  be  settled  with 
blood !" 


440  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

"Now  you  talk  sensible,  boy;  them's  my  senti 
ments — that  thar's  the  way  this  hyer  old  nigger'd 
do — chaw  me  I" 

"  But  can  I  follow  him  ?  can  I  ascertain  whither  he 
has  gone  with  his  victim  ?  for  Adele  is  his  victim,  I 
feel  assured." 

"  You  kin  try  to  St.  Train's,  Freshwater." 

"And  try  I  will!"  said  I,  setting  my  teeth  hard 
with  my  murderous  resolve.  "Enough,  Sam — 
enough  for  the  present — say  not  another  word — you 
see  I  am  a  man  again  1" 

"  Or  will  be,"  muttered  Botter,  turning  aside  his 
head  and  smothering  a  laugh,  "  when  you  git  that 

greasy  paint  rubbed  off,  and  human  fixings  on 

to  your  back  agin.  But  kim  along — let's  travel: 
you'll  live  to  see  sights  yit,  you  will.  Augh !" 

As  he  spoke,  Botter  turned  down  the  gorge  of  the 
mountain,  and  picked  his  way  over  rocks,  alongside 
of  the  here  rushing,  roaring  stream ;  and  I  followed 
mechanically,  thinking  only  of  Adele,  her  seducer, 
and  revenge.  About  a  hundred  yards  from  where 
the  stream  entered  this  gorge,  it  turned  a  sharp  angle 
to  the  right ;  and,  about  the  same  distance  again,  it 
took  a  similar  turn  to  the  left ;  and  so,  in  a  zigzag 
course,  it  went  foaming  and  roaring  onward,  for  per 
haps  half  a  mile  from  the  green  valley  above,  when 
it  struck  a  long,  thickly  wooded  level,  where  its 
waters  spread  out  to  five  times  its  ordinary  width 
and  became  almost  as  still  as  a  lake.  We  quitted  the 
gorge,  and  turned  up  the  hill  to  the  left ;  but  the 


A    WONDERFUL    SURPRISE.  441 

moment  we  reached  a  point  which  commanded  a  view 
of  the  whole  scene,  Botter  stopped,  and  said  : 

"Hyer's  a  spot  as  has  been  a  purty  sight  to  One- 
Eyed  Sam  fur  many  a  week." 

"  Have  you  been  living  here  for  weeks  ?"  I  inquired, 
in  some  surprise. 

"Expect." 

"  Ah !  yes — I  understand — trapping  beaver  ?'T 

"  Them's  'em,  Freshwater — and  a  desperate  nice 
thing  I've  made  on't.  You  see,  arter  I'd  got  back 
from  hunting  the  gal — which  we  found  so  curious — 
the  Cap'in  being  purty  much  tickled  all  round,  he 
gin  me  a  nice  fit-out  of  traps  and  fixings,  and  I  did 
some'at  to  beaver  that  year,  afore  all  froze,  and  then 
kim  down  to  St.  Train's  to  winter.  Last  spring  I 
started  'arly — but  found  poor  picking,  till  I  diskivered 
this  hyer  run.  Sign  war  about  han'some  in  these 
diggins ;  and  so  putting  my  mules  to  feed  in  a  valley 
below,  I  fotched  my  traps  up  hyer,  knocked  up  a 
shanty,  and  went  in.  D'ye  see  them  thar  beaver 
lodges  over  t'other  side  ?" 

"  I  do,"  I  answered,  mechanically — for  I  was  not  in 
a  mood  to  be  interested  in  what  he  was  saying — 
though  I  thought  it  best  to  humor  him. 

"  And  d'ye  see  these  hyer  stumps,  cut  off  like  they 
was  sawed  ?" 

"I  do." 

"  And  d'ye  mind  how  still  the  water  is  ?" 

"  I  do." 

"Wall,  ye  see,  the  beavers  cut  down  these  liyer 


442  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

trees  with  their  teeth — knocked  up  a  dam  down 
yonder — raised  their  shanties  over  the  way — and  had 

a nice  time  on't  ginerally,  till  One-Eyed  got  his 

old  blinker  on  to  'em,  and  made  thar  meat  kim  to 
traps.  Augh !  Kim  along,  Freshwater,  and  I'll 
show  you  a  slight  sprinkling  to  fur — I  will — chaw 
me!" 

Saying  this,  Better  set  forward  again,  and  I  followed 
in  silence.  Proceeding  some  two  hundred  yards  fur 
ther,  obliquely  across  the  hill,  he  halted  before  a  thick 
cluster  of  bushes,  took  a  sweeping  survey  of  the  whole 
scene,  and  then,  carefully  parting  the  interlocking 
twigs,  pushed  in  toward  the  centre,  bidding  me  follow, 
and  be  particular  to  leave  the  external  appearance  as 
we  had  found  it.  Penetrating  these  bushes,  which 
were  higher  than  our  heads,  we  soon  came  to  a  hut, 
constructed  of  poles,  sticks,  bark,  and  skins,  and 
having  a  door  which  we  could  only  enter  in  a  stooping 
posture.  Sam  looked  in,  and  remarking  that  all  was 
right,  he  invited  me  to  follow  him,  and  disappeared. 
As  I  crossed  the  threshhold  of  his  forest  domicile,  I 
heard  him  mutter  to  himself,  as  if  addressing  another : 

"Sam,  you  old  sinner,  lay  low,  and  keep  shady, 
and  you'll  see  fun,  you  will.  Augh !" 

I  heard  the  words,  but  paid  little  heed  to  them.  I 
had  no  idea  then  to  what  he  alluded — but  the  reader 
will  find  sufficient  explanation  in  the  following  chapter 


THE  OLD  TRAPPER'S  JOKE.    443 


CHAPTEK  XXXn. 
THE  OLD  TRAPPER'S  JOKE. 

THE  hut,  cottage,  shanty,  or  lodge — call  it  by  what 
name  you  will — of  Sam  Botter,  was  not  remarkable 
for  either  size,  beauty,  or  cleanliness ;  and  occupying 
the  central  point  of  a  large  cluster  of  dwarfed  trees, 
brambles,  and  bushes,  the  view  immediately  around 
it  was  hardly  such  as  a  poetical  florist  would  have 
desired.  Still  it  suited  the  old  trapper,  and  answered 
the  design  for  which  it  was  erected ;  and  in  that,  to 
say  the  least,  it  had  the  advantage  of  many  an  edifice 
of  more  cost  and  pretension.  The  old  mountaineer 
wanted  concealment  for  himself,  traps,  furs,  packs, 
etc.,  and  shelter  from  the  mountain  storms — which 
are  not  unfrequently  cold  and  severe,  even  in  mid 
summer — and  his  shanty,  as  he  was  wont  to  term  it, 
served  him  in  every  particular.  Nothing  short  of 
Indian  cunning  and  sagacity  could  have  found  it ; 
and  no  one,  without  a  special  motive,  would  have 
penetrated  ten  feet  into  such  a  tangled  mass  of  brush 
and  briers. 

It  was  quite  primitive  in  its  construction,  and  had 
cost  but  little  labor,  and  less  brains.  A  number  of 
poles,  set  in  a  circle  of  ten  feet  in  diameter,  were 
brought  together  at  the  top,  fastened  with  stout 
thongs,  and  the  interstices  filled  with  brush,  sticks, 


444  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

bark,  and  stones,  and  the  whole  nicely  covered  with 
skins  of  bear,  deer,  and  other  animals.  It  was  water 
proof  overhead,  and  the  door  served  the  triple  pur 
pose  of  admitting  the  tenant,  light,  and  air.  The 
earth  was  the  floor,  covered  with  dried  grass,  sweet- 
scented  herbs,  skins,  and  the  ordinary  utensils  of  a 
trapper.  The  cooking  was  done  in  the  open  air;  and 
the  beaver  skins,  first  stretched  on  a  hoop,  were  dried 
in  the  sun;  but  the  shanty  was  the  general  store 
house  of  everything ;  and  Sam,  more  than  once, 
showed  me  packs  of  furs  ready  for  the  market ;  and, 
with  a  feeling  of  exultation ,  he  several  times  declared, 
that  "old  One-Eyed  war  a  rich  nigger  agin,  and  all 
on  his  own  hook." 

Having,  in  a  measure,  forced  me  to  inspect  his 
forest  home  and  property,  he  at  length  said : 

"  Now,  Freshwater,  I  knows  you  is  tired  and  hungry ; 
and  so  you  jest  plant  yourself  down  hyer,  and  I'll 
desperate  soon  fotch  you  in  some'at  to  tickle  your 
meat-trap  with." 

Saying  this,  the  old  trapper  went  out ;  and,  care 
fully  picking  his  way  through  the  surrounding  bushes, 
disappeared — leaving  me  alone  to  my  gloomy  thoughts 
and  miserable  reflections.  I  threw  myself  down  upon 
the  litter,  and  was  soon  lost  in  ,  a  painful  reverie. 
From  this  abstracted  state  of  mind  I  was  presently 
aroused,  by  hearing  some  one  carefully  part  the  bushes 
and  cautiously  approach ;  but  supposing  it  to  be  Sam, 
I  only  thought  that  now  I  was  about  to  get  food  to 
strengthen  my  body,  and  turn  my  thoughts,  for  a 


THE  OLD  TRAPPER'S  JOKE.         445 

short  time  at  least,  into  a  more  healthy  channel,  and 
perhaps  raise  in  some  degree  my  prostrated  nature 
from  the  dark  gulf  of  misanthropy  and  revengeful 
desire  into  which  it  had  been  so  suddenly  plunged. 
Imagine  my  surprise  and  astonishment,  therefore,  on 
seeing  a  strange  face  presented  at  the  door — the  face 
of  a  white  man — accompanied  with  a  body  of  small 
stature,  dressed  in  the  mountain  costume.  The  face, 
however,  was  that  of  a  young  man,  full  of  health  and 
energy ;  and  in  the  dim  light,  I  could  discover  nothing 
savage  or  diabolical  in  its  expression — though  the 
owner  carried  a  rifle  in  his  hand,  and  a  brace  of  pistols 
and  a  hunting  knife  in  his  girdle.  My  first  impres 
sion  was,  that  he  was  the  associate  or  partner  of  Bot- 
ter;  but  instantly  I  remembered  having  heard  the 
latter  assert  that  he  was  "  trapping  on  his  own  hook;" 
and  my  next  reasonable  conjecture  was,  that  he  was  a 
mountain  neighbor,  who  had  come  on  a  friendly  visit 
to  the  camp  of  Sam.  From  my  position  inside — being, 
too,  by  this  time,  accustomed  to  the  dim  light,  I  could 
Bee  him  much  better  than  he  could  me ;  but  he  evi 
dently  knew  I  was  here ;  for  he  stopped  at  the  door, 
shaded  his  eyes  with  his  hand,  peered  into  the  darker 
part  of  the  lodge,  and  said  : 

"  Though  armed,  I  am  disposed  to  be  friendly." 
"  Well,  sir,  if  disposed  to  be  friendly,  as  you  say, 
pray  enter,  without  fear,"  I  replied.     "  In  the  absence 
of  the  host,  Sam  Botter,  I  take  it  upon  me  to  say  you 
are  welcome." 

"  Why,  how  is  this  ?"  cried  the  stranger,  springing 


446  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

into  the  hut,  and  endeavoring  to  get  a  better  view  of 
my  face  and  person. 

"  Well,  sir,  is  there  anything  wrong  ?"  said  I,  get 
ting  up  and  confronting  him  with  an  air  of  dignity, 
composure,  and  self-assurance. 

"Surely,  you  are  not  an  Indian?"  he  exclaimed,  in 
some  confusion. 

"  Who  said  I  was,  sir  ?" 

"  Why,  no  other  than  Sam  Better  himself." 

"  You  have  seen  him,  then  ?" 

"  Yes,  not  five  minutes  since — and  he  told  me  he 
had  just  met  an  old  Indian  acquaintance,  who  had 
done  him  a  service  in  times  past,  and  that  he  was  now 
his  guest.  He  requested  me  to  come  up  here,  and 
speak  kindly  to  you — but  said  that,  though  you  could 
understand  me,  you  spoke  English  so  brokenly,  that 
I  must  be  satisfied  to  comprehend  one  word  in  three." 

"  Be  assured,  sir,  it  is  one  of  Sam's  jokes,"  I  re 
joined — "of  which  he  is  rather  fond — as  you  doubt 
less  know,  if  as  well  acquainted  with  him  as  myself. 
No,  sir !  I  am  no  Indian ;  though  I  look  like  one,  in 
this  costume  and  paint,  and  with  this  shaved  head.  I 
am  a  white  man  from  the  States,  who  was  captured, 
more  than  a  year  ago,  by  the  Crows;  and  I  have  been 
their  prisoner  till  recently,  when  I  fortunately  effected 
my  escape." 

"Ah!  Sam,  you  rogue,  you  shall  answer  for  this 
trick !"  apostrophized  the  stranger,  good  humoredly. 

"Wagh!  hagh!  wagh!— wagh!  hagh !  wagh !" 
roared  Better,  who  had  drawn  near  enough  to  over- 


THE  OLD  TKAPPER'S  JOKE.         447 

hear  our  conversation;  and  "wagh!  hagh  I  wagh!" 
resounded  for  several  minutes — till,  in  spite  of  our 
selves,  we  were  forced  to  join  in  his  uproarious  mer 
riment. 

"There  is  no  great  depth  in  the  joke,  after  all, 
Sam,"  sung  out  the  stranger  at  length,  biting  his  lips, 
and  evidently  feeling  chagrined.  "  Any  body  who  is 
disposed  to  make  a  false  statement,  can  play  off  a 
similar  trick  on  his  fellows  at  almost  any  moment." 

" Sold !"  roared  Sam :  "I  knowed  it — this  hyer  old 
nigger'd  hev  gambled  high  on  to  it — sold,  you  is, 
boys,  or  I'm  a  woodchuck — wagh !  hagh !  wagh !" 

" Let  him  enjoy  his  laugh,"  said  I ;  "it  seems  to  do 
him  good ;  and  I  am  only  sorry  that  circumstances 
deprive  me  of  the  pleasure  of  a  similar  flow  of  joyous 
spirits." 

As  I  said  this,  we  heard  the  crackling  of  the 
bushes ;  and  the  next  moment  the  old  trapper  him 
self  appeared  upon  the  scene. 

"It's  fun,  ain't  it?"  he  roared. 

"Not  so  very  remarkably  funny  either,"  replied 
the  stranger. 

"Ef  it  don't  kill  me,  I'll  live  ten  year  longer  fur 
it — chaw  me  !"  said  Sam. 

"  If  it  will  prolong  your  life,  you  are  welcome  to 
my  part  in  the  performance,"  said  I. 

"But  the  best  of  the  joke  you  don't  see — wagh! 
hagh !  wagh  1"  roared  Sam  again. 

"It  is  very  likely  we  do  not," returned  the  stranger, 
a  little  testily ;  "  since  what  we  do  see,  appears  too 


448  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

stupid  for  a  man  of  sense  to  laugh  at."  Then  turning 
to  me,  he  continued :  "  So  you  have  just  escaped  from 
a  painful  captivity  ?" 

"  I  have,  God  be  thanked !"  I  replied. 

"  You  must  have  suffered  a  great  deal  ?" 

"  No  one  knows  how  much !" 

"Were  you  badly  treated?" 

"  It  was  not  so  much  the  treatment  I  received,  as 
the  fact  of  being  a  prisoner  among  a  people  between 
whom  and  myself  there  was  not  a  single  link  of  sym 
pathy,  and  the  thought  that  I  might  be  doomed  to 
spend  my  days  there,  without  ever  again  beholding 
my  friends,  which  caused  my  suffering  and  misery. 
The  torture  of  the  body,  sir,  is  as  nothing  compared 
with  the  torture  of  the  mind." 

"That  is  true,"  sighed  the  other.  "I  have  felt 
both,  and  know  your  observation  to  be  true." 

"  Were  you  ever  a  captive  ?" 

"  Never ;  but  I  have  known  what  it  was  to  feel  the 
pangs  and  attendant  miseries  of  a  bodily  disease, 
supposed  to  be  incurable;  and  at  the  very  moment 
when  certain  recovery  had  made  my  spirit  buoyant 
with  bright  and  glorious  anticipations,  I  have  known 
what  it  was  to  lose,  by  worse  than  ordinary  death, 
the  only  friend  I  truly  loved  save  one  on  earth ;  and 
the  mental  anguish  caused  by  this,  I  do  assure  you, 
threw  far  into  the  shade  all  I  had  before  experienced 
of  wretchedness." 

"  Yet  better,  far  better,  your  friend  should  die,  than 
live  to  be  lost  to  you  for  ever  through  sin  and  crime 1" 


THE  OLD  TRAPPER'S  JOKE.         449 

said  I,  somewhat  irrelevantly  and  abstractedly,  as  the 
image  of  Adele  floated  up  through  my  recollection, 
like  a  beautiful  picture  covered  with  a  black  vail. 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,"  said  my  new  acquaint 
ance. 

"  No !  how  should  you  ?  since  it  has  probably  never 
been  your  misfortune  to  know  the  baseness  and 
wickedness  of  the  human  heart ;  but  believe  me,  sir, 
there  can  come  no  heavier  blow — no  keener  pang — 
to  the  upright,  trusting,  confiding,  loving  heart,  than 
to  suddenly  learn  that  the  being  he  most  trusted, 
most  confided  in,  most  loved,  has  proved  unworthy 
of  his  regard ;  and  that  where  he  built  his  hopes  of 
happiness,  in  the  expectation  of  finding  the  holy  light 
and  virtue  of  an  angel,  he  now  stops  to  mourn  above 
a  dismal  wreck  of  sin  and  crime ;  and  is  led  to  doubt 
if  any  can  be  true,  since  such  an  one  has  fallen.  But 
speaking  of  friends,"  continued  I,  with  a  sudden  start, 
as,  for  the  first  time  since  meeting  the  old  trapper,  the 
thought  of  poor  Varney  flashed  upon  my  recollection 
— "  I  too  have,  or  had,  a  friend — and  Heaven  pardon 
me  for  having,  during  the  excitement  of  crushing 
news,  forgotten  to  inquire  his  fate.  Better  — " 

"  Hush  !"  said  Sam,  who,  his  mirth  having  subsided, 
was  now  standing  by  my  side,  and  listening  to  our 
conversation  :  "  Hush !"  and  he  put  his  finger  to  his 
lips  mysteriously,  and  drew  me  aside.  "I  knows  who 
you  mean,  Freshwater,"  he  whispered  in  my  ear ;  "  you 
mean  Shadbones ;  but  hush !  don't  mention  him !  and 
I'll  tell  you  why  afore  long — I  will — chaw  me  I" 
2T 


450  THE    BORDER    ROVEK. 

"  Sam,"  returned  I,  nervously  clutching  his  am., 
and  addressing  him  in  a  whisper  also,  "  is  he  a  villain 
too  ?" 

"  Nary  once." 

tl  What  then  ?" 

"  Gone  under !"  was  the  doleful  rejoinder. 

u  Ah !  poor  fellow!  poor  fellow!  it  is  then  as  I 
feared ;"  and  the  tears  rushed  to  my  eyes.  "But  why 
do  you  not  wish  me  to  speak  of  him,  Sam?" 

"Hush,  now — do — I'll  tell  you  afore  long — ef  I 
don't,  you  kin  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar. — Augh!" 

"  Yery  well,  I  will  wait,"  said  I,  giving  vent  to  my 
grief  in  tears  that  I  could  not  repress. 

For  some  time'  the  conversation  dropped  on  all 
sides;  but  evidently  finding  the  silence  somewhat 
embarrassing,  and  perhaps  with  the  view  also  of  with 
drawing  my  thoughts  from  a  painful  subject,  the 
young  stranger  resumed,  in  a  tone  that  showed  his 
heart  was  alive  to  sympathy,  although  he  might  not 
intrude  it  upon  my  private  grief. 

"  You  say  you  are  from  the  States — do  you  think 
of  returning  soon  ?" 

"  Such  was  my  intention,  sir,  till  I  heard,  from  my 
friend  Botter  here  of  the  villainy  of  one  I  had  sup 
posed  my  friend ;  but  since  then  I  have  hardly  been 
myself,  and  really  do  not  know  what  I  shall  decide 
upon  when  I  reach  a  point  where  I  can  learn  more  of 
the  real  facts  of  the  case.  I  am  not  naturally  of  a 
revengeful  disposition — and  would,  as  a  general  thing, 
much  rather  leave  the  guilty  to  the  punishment  which 


THE  OLD  TRAPPER'S  JOKE.          451 

is  sure  to  follow,  either  soon  or  late,  the  transgression 
of  God's  moral  law;  but,  in  the  present  instance,  I 
have  not  only  been  wronged  irreparably — but  a  being, 
whom  I  loved  more  than  life,  has  been  ruined,  body 
and  soul;  and  I  feel  it  would  only  be  justice  to  rid 
the  earth  of  a  demon  incarnate,  and  send  him  to  his 
eternal  reckoning." 

"  Them's  my  sentiments,"  rejoined  Botter,  with  an 
oath. 

"And  yet,"  said  the  other,  " it  is  a  fearful  thing  to 
take  human  life,  except  in  self-defence.  Have  you 
duly  considered  that,  by  such  an  act,  your  own  peace 
of  mind  would  be  for  ever  destroyed  ?  to  say  nothing 
of  the  penalties  attached  to  the  transgression  of 
human  laws?" 

"I  have  hardly  considered  anything,"  I  replied; 
"  but  as  to  my  peace  of  mind,  I  feel  it  is  destroyed 
already." 

"You  think  so  now — but  time  will  bring  a  change. 
Grief  may  be  assuaged;  but  remorse  has  a  barbed 
point,  which  once  buried  in  the  soul  may  rankle  for 
ever." 

"I  shall  doubtless  be  guided  by  circumstances;  and 
at  present  I  am  not  in  a  condition  to  say,  positively, 
what  I  shall,  or  shall  not,  do." 

''  Are  you  certain  of  all  the  treachery  and  deceit  to 
which  you  allude  ?" 

"All  I  know,  I  have  gathered  from  Botter  here — 
let  him  answer." 

"  All  I've  told  him,  I've  powerful  good  reason  fur 


452  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

believing  ar'  true  as  that  this  hyer  old  boss  is  a 

bad  sinner  hisself,"  replied  Sam,  emphatically. 

"In  such  a  case,  one  should  not  only  believe,  but 
know!"  rejoined  the  other. 

"  It  is  my  intention  to  visit  St.  Train's  Fort,"  said 
I,  "and  act  upon  the  evidence  which  I  may  there  re 
ceive;  though,  after  all,  it  may  be  necessary  for  me 
to  first  return  to  the  States,  in  order  to  procure  the 
means  to  carry  out  my  half-formed  design.  It  is  true, 
I  left  some  money  in  the  hands  of  Bent,  when  I 
stopped  at  his  fort,  on  the  Arkansas,  something  more 
than  a  year  ago ;  but  if  that  was  not  safely  trusted,  I 
have  nothing  in  this  part  of  the  world  I  can  claim, 
except  what  you  see  upon  me — the  Indians  have  de 
spoiled  me  of  all  the  rest." 

"  You  will  find  William  Bent  a-n  honorable  man, 
and  kind-hearted,"  replied  my  new  acquaintance,  with 
something  like  enthusiasm.  "If  you  left  money  in 
his  possession,  my  life  on  it,  it  will  be  returned  the 
moment  you  call  for  it.  I  was  there,  a  year  ago  last 
summer,  in  very  bad  health,  on  my  way  to  the  moun 
tains;  and  being  compelled  by  sickness  to  remain 
there  for  two  or  three  weeks,  I  can  testify  to  the  good 
ness  of  his  heart,  from  the  kind,  almost  fatherly, 
treatment  which  I  received  at  his  hands,  and  those  of 
his  immediate  household." 

"  It  is  something  of  a  curious  coincidence,"  I  re 
joined,  "  that  I  was  there,  a  year  ago  last  summer, 
and  left  a  sick  friend  under  his  charge,  who  was  also 
on  his  way  to  the  mountains  for  the  recovery  of  his 


THE  OLD  TRAPPER'S  JOKE.         453 

health ;  and  of  whom  your  voice,  and  manner,  and 
style  of  conversation,  forcibly  remind  me.  But  my 
friend,  I  have  just  learned  from  Botter,  is  dead ;  and 
as  you  are  living,  and  apparently  in  good  health,  the 
coincidence  ends  with  what  I  have  stated.  Sam;"  con 
tinued  I,  turning  to  Botter,  who  now  had  his  back 
toward  me,  and  was  looking  out  through  the  door, 
"  you  may  as  well  speak  now,  and  tell  me  how  and 
where  my  dear  friend  met  his  end  !  Did  he  reach  the 
mountains?  or  did  he  die  at  the  fort  ?" 

"  He  got  to  the  mountains  alive,  and  lived  to  see 
sights,  I  reckon,"  answered  the  trapper. 

11  Did  the  half  breed  go  with  him  ?" 

"Expect." 

"  Was  he  with  him  when  he  died !" 

For  some  reason,  which  will  soon  be  apparent, 
Botter  did  not  reply  to  this  question  ;  but  the  muscles 
of  his  face  seemed  to  work  convulsively — and  more 
than  once,  I  noticed,  he  covered  his  mouth  with  his 
hand,  in  a  manner  somewhat  mysterious. 

"He  has  a  kind  heart,"  I  thought,  "and  is  really 
affected  at  the  loss  of  poor  Varney ;"  and  with  a  feel 
ing  of  gloom  and  grief,  I  was  about  to  throw  myself 
down  upon  the  litter,  resolved  to  break  off  the  con 
versation  and  commune  only  with  my  own  sad 
thoughts  for  the  present,  when  my  attention  was 
arrested  by  the  singular  conduct  of  the  stranger. 

Springing  suddenly  to  Botter,  he  seized  and  turned 
him  round ;  and  for  a  moment,  looked  eagerly,  almost 
wildly,  into  his  face ;  and  then,  bounding  to  me,  he 


454  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

caught  me  by  the  arm,  and  fairly  dragged  me  to  the 
door ;  where,  in  the  stronger  light,  I  underwent  the 
same  rapid  and  eager  scrutiny.  Wondering  what  all 
this  portended,  and  half  inclined  to  think  the  stranger 
demented,  I  looked  full  into  his  bronzed  face  and 
dark  eyes.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  done  so  in  a 
light  sufficient  to  distinctly  reveal  every  lineament ; 
and  I  started  to  perceive  an  expression  there  peculiar 
to  one  I  was  mourning  as  dead. 

"  Your  name  ?"  he  gasped. 

"Roland  Rivers." 

"  Great  God  I  is  it  possible  ?  and  I  am  Alfred  Yar- 
ney !" 

The  next  moment  we  were  locked  in  each  other's 
embrace,  and  stood  trembling,  and  almost  over 
powered,  with  emotions  which  no  language  might 
express. 

i  -  "  Wagh  I  hagh!  wagh  !"  roared  Sam ;  "  d'ye  see  the 
joke  now,  boys  ? — d'ye  see  it  now,  like  old  One-Eyed 
does  ? — wagh !  hagh !  wagh  1" 


SERIOUS     SPECULATIONS.  455 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

SERIOUS    SPECULATIONS. 

WILD,  thrilling  and  rapturous  were  the  sensations 
•which  Varney  and  I  experienced,  as  each  so  suddenly 
and  unexpectedly  discovered  and  clasped  to  his  heart 
a  friend  supposed  to  be  no  more.  To  attempt  to 
describe  our  emotions,  and  impart  to  the  reader  a 
tithe  of  what  we  felt,  would  be  worse  than  vain ;  and 
so  I  will  only  request  him  to  take  into  consideration 
our  peculiar  temperaments,  the  strength  of  our  attach 
ments,  the  length  of  time  since  our  parting,  the  perils 
and  hardships  we  had  encountered,  the  belief  of  each 
that  the  other  was  dead,  together  with  our  strange 
meeting  in  a  lonely  wilderness — and  with  all  these 
facts  duly  considered,  he  may  form  some  faint  idea  of 
the  feelings  which  stirred  the  inmost  depths  of  our 
souls  as  we  stood  clasped  in  each  other's  embrace. 

"Is  it  possible  this  can  be  my  dear  friend,  Eoland 
Hirers!"  exclaimed  Yarney  at  length,  starting  back 
and  looking  eagerly  into  my  face. 

"  Rather  let  me  say,  is  it  possible  this  can  be  Alfred 
Yarney!  the  pale,  emaciated,  consumptive  friend, 
whom  I  left  at  Bent's,  lying  upon  what  I  feared  would 
be  his  bed  of  death!  No  wonder,  with  your  full, 
bronzed  face,  and  robust  frame — seen  unexpectedly 
in  this  dim  light — that  I  did  not  recognize  you,  even 


456  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

though  your  voice  had  a  familiar  sound ;  and  then  Sam 
took  care  to  destroy  my  faintest  suspicion,  by  telling 
me  you  were  dead." 

"Fun,  ain't  it?"  roared  Sam.  "I  knowed  thar'd  be 
fun,  when  I  diskivered  Freshwater  up  to  t'other  val 
ley.  Yes,  ye  see,  boys,  I  says  to  myself,  says  I,  'Sam, 
you  old  beaver,  you  kin  fotch  Freshwater  and  Shad- 
bones  together  mysterious — and  you  kin  git  fun  out 
on  'em — and  ef  you  don't  do  it,  Sam,  you  old  one- 
eyed  nigger,  then  you  ought  to  jest  let  'em  chaw  you 
up  fur  a  liar' — wagh!  haghl  wagh!  Wall,  when  I 
got  to  my  shanty  hyer,  I  left  you,  Freshwater,  to 
hunt  Shad  bones — fur  I  knowed  he  war  n't  fur  off,  case 
it  war  nigh  feeding  time — and  he's  powerful  to  eat 
now,  is  that  same  Shadbones — and  so  when  I  seed 
him,  I  sent  him  up  hyer  to  do  the  ginteel  to  my 
Injun  friend — wagh!  hagh!  wagh!" 

"But  how  is  it  I  find  you  here  with  Sam?"  inquired 
I  of  Yarney.  "Come,  sit  down,  and  tell  me  your 
story." 

"  Yes,  go  in,  Shadbones,  and  I'll  fix  you  up  some 
beaver  tails,  and  call  it  squar' — I  will — chaw  me!" 
said  Botter,  who  immediately  started  out,  leaving  us 
to  ourselves. 

The  story  of  Varney,  which  occupied  a  couple  of 
hours  in  narration,  I  shall  abridge.  After  our  parting 
at  Bent's  Fort,  he  remained  there  a  couple  of  weeks, 
and  then  resumed  his  journey,  accompanied  by  the 
half-breed,  in  the  double  capacity  of  guide  and  ser 
vant.  He  reached  Pueblo  without  accident,  and  spent 


SERIOUS     SPECULATIONS.  457 

a  month  at  the  fort,  hoping  I  would  join  him;  and 
then,  his  health  having  in  some  measure  improved,  he 
joined  a  party  of  hunters,  and  ascended  the  range  of 
mountains  known  as  the  Three  Parks,  and  of  which 
his  present  locality  formed  a  part.  Once  upon  the 
mountains,  he  began  to  experience  a  remarkable 
change  in  his  system  ;  and  soon  discovered,  by  unmis 
takable  signs,  that  his  lungs  were  healing,*  and  his 
joy  at  this  discovery  may  readily  be  imagined.  He 
spent  the  fall,  and  a  portion  of  the  winter,  in  riding, 
hunting,  and  fishing — sometimes  in  company  with  a 
strong  party,  and  sometimes  with  only  his  guide  for 
his  companion — and  toward  spring  made  his  way  to 
St.  Yrain's  Fort,  where  he  encountered  Botter,  and 
from  his  lips  gathered  all  that  was  known  of  my  his 
tory.  He  here  learned  that  El  Doliente  and  Adele 
had  gone  together  toward  the  south ;  but  no  one  knew, 
or  appeared  the  least  interested  in  knowing,  their  des 
tination,  though  the  tongue  of  scandal  was  not  idle 
concerning  their  moral  characters.  As  to  myself,  it 
was  believed  that  I  was  dead.  The  girl  stated  that  I 
had  been  delirious ;  and  it  was  supposed  that,  after  she 

*  "  It  is  an  extraordinary  fact,  that  the  air  of  the  mountains  has 
a  wonderful  restorative  effect  upon  constitutions  enfeebled  by 
pulmonary  diseases  ;  and  of  my  own  knowledge,  I  could  mention 
a  hundred  instances  where  persons,  whose  cases  have  been  pro 
nounced,  by  eminent  practitioners,  perfectly  hopeless,  have  been 
restored  to  comparatively  sound  health,  by  a  sojourn  in  the  pure 
and  bracing  air  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  and  are  now  alive,  to 
testify  to  the  effects  of  the  reinvigorating  climate." — EUXTON'S 
ADVENTURES  IN  MEXICO  AND  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS. 


458  THE    BOBBER    ROVER. 

left  me,  I  had  wandered  away,  in  a  state  of  delirium, 
and  perished,  and  been  devoured  by  wild  beasts — the 
effect  of  which  news  on  my  friend  was  for  a  time  very . 
severe. 

On  arriving  at  St.  Train's,  it  had  been  Yarney's 
intention  to  return  to  the  States  during  the  ensuing 
summer;  but  fearing  a  relapse,  and  believing  one 
more  season  on  the  mountains  would  effect  a  perma 
nent  cure,  he  had  easily  been  prevailed  on  by  Botter 
to  accompany  him  on  a  trapping  expedition,  which 
was  to  end  at  the  commencement  of  cold  weather. 
Botter  had  been  successful  beyond  his  expectations. 
The  valley  where  they  were  now  located,  had  been  dis 
covered  early  in  the  summer ;  and  here  the  old  trapper 
had  built  his  hut,  and  fixed  his  head  quarters;  though 
he  had  since  trapped  on  all  the  streams  within  fifty 
miles,  and  had  sometimes  been  absent  for  days  at 
a  time.  Yarney  had  sometimes  accompanied  him, 
and  had  sometimes  remained  alone  while  he  was 
away;  and  had  passed  his  time  pleasantly,  in  hunt 
ing  and  fishing,  while  Sam  was  busy  looking 
after  his  traps.  The  time  for1  setting  out  on  their 
return  to  some  one  of  the  wilderness  forts,  was  now 
near  at  hand;  and  only  the  day  previous  to  my  arri 
val,  the  old  mountaineer  had  announced  his  intention 
of  gathering  up  his  traps  and  furs,  pulling  up  stakes, 
and  making  a  bee  line  for  Pueblo  within  a  week. 

Such  was  the  substance  of  what  I  gathered  from 
Yarney — his  story  being  interrupted  more  than  once 
by  Botter — who,  during  the  narration,  brought  us  in  a 


SERIOUS     SPECULATION  S.  459 

well  cooked  dish  of  beaver-tails,  which  proved  a  most 
delicious  repast,  and  to  which  I  .-certainly  did  ample 
justice.  Having  heard  Yarney's  story,  I  proceeded 
to  relate  my  own — and  both  he  and  Botter  sat  and 
listened  to  me  with  manifest  interest.  When  I  had 
brought  my  narrative  to  the  point  where  I  had  so 
unexpectedly  met  Botter,  the  old  trapper  characteris 
tically  observed: 

"Freshwater,  thar's  no  use  in  saying  you  hain't 
been  in  some  desperate  tight  places ;  but  ef  you  was 
ever  nigher  being  rubbed  out,  than  when  old  One- 
Eyed  Sam  had  his  squint  along  the  barrel  of  this 
hyer  rifle,  all  I've  got  to  say  is,  you've  went  through 
a  tighter  squeeze  than  ary  nigger  this  hyer  old  coon 
ever  heerd  tell  on.  Yes  sir-ee — a  heap — chaw  me! 
Augh!" 

"You  did  really  intend  to  shoot  me  then?"  said  I. 

"I  kim  so  nigh  to  it,  that  I  don't  know  why  I 
didn't — fur  it's  a  settled  pint  with  me,  to  raise  red- 
nigger's  ha'r  wharsomever  I  find  it ;  and  ef  you  wasn't 
a  red-nigger  to  old  Sam  jest  about  then,  then  hyer's 
what  never  seed  snakes." 

"  The  same  good  Providence  which  has  ever  watched 
over  me,  saved  me  from  your  murderous  design,"  I 
rejoined. 

"Don't  know  'bout  that  thar — but  I  reckon  it  war 
the  skeer  in  you  as  made  me  hold  up,"  said  Sam, 
dryly. 

"  I  was  not  so  scared  as  excited,"  I  replied. 

"  Wall,  it  had  a  powerful  look  to  skeer,  to  this  old 


460  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

possum,"  rejoined  Botter,  with  a  laugh.  "  The  fact  is, 
I  thought  you'd  die  to  skeer,  and  save  powder — ef  I 
didn't,  may  I  never  tell  the  truth  agin !  Augh  1" 

"  Well,  I  was  saved,  and  am  here,  and  I  thank  Gou 
for  it!"  I  rejoined.  "And  now,  to  change  the  subject, 
pray  tell  me,  Alfred,  what  you  think  of  the  conduct 
of  El  Doliente  and  Adele?" 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  think,  Eoland.  I  have 
never  seen  the  girl,  you  know ;  but  from  all  you  have 
told  me  of  her,  I  have  good  reason  to  suppose  her 
innocent  of  the  sin  laid  to  her  charge." 

"But  why  did  she  set  off  alone  with  the  Spaniard?" 

"  What  was  she  to  do?  Without  home,  without 
friends,  believing  you  to  be  dead,  what  object  could 
she  have  in  remaining  in  a  wilderness  fortress,  sur 
rounded  by  rough,  vulgar,  uncouth  beings,  who  could 
have  little  or  no  sympathy  with  one  so  pure,  refined, 
and  intelligent  ?  It  would  naturally  be  her  desire  to 
get  among  the  people  of  her  race  and  religion ;  and 
El  Doliente  may  have  generously  afforded  her  the 
opportunity,  and  taken  her  for  the  time  under  his  pro 
tection.  We  should  never  condemn  our  friends,  and 
especially  those  we  love,  without  positive  proof  of 
guilt!" 

"  You  give  me  hope !"  cried  I,  grasping  his  hand ; 
"  and  I  thank  God  there  is  one  to  speak  in  her  defence ! 
Poor  Adele  !  it  is  wrong  to  censure  her  without  proof 
positive  of  wrong — and  if  ever  being  loved,  I  know 
her  heart  was  mine." 

"  And  that  love  has  sustained  and  saved  her,  rest 


SERIOUS     SPECULATIONS.  461 

assured,  my  dear  Roland — even  supposing  the  snares 
of  temptation  to  have  been  thrown  around  her." 

"  Oh !  do  you  think  so,  Alfred  ?" 

"  Sincerely  and  truly." 

"But  she  believes  me  dead." 

"Then,  with  her  belief,  she  may  fancy  you  present 
with  her  in  spirit — and  true  love  dies  not." 

"Oh!  Great  God!  let  not  these  bright  hopes  be 
raised,  to  be  suddenly  destroyed!"  I  prayed.  "But I 
must  find  her,  Alfred — I  must  find  her ;  I  must  know 
the  truth;  and  till  then  I  shall  never  rest  in  peace. 
How  can  this  be  done?  what  shall  I  do  ?  She  may 
have  gone  to  Mexico;  but  how  shall  I  ascertain 
whither  she  has  gone  ?  and  how  follow  her  ?  since,  if 
I  recover  the  money  I  left  at  Bent's,  my  means  will 
still  be  very  limited." 

"I  have  some  which  is  at  your  service." 

"But  you  must  go  with  me." 

"  There  may  be  enough  for  both,  if  we  use  prudence 
and  economy." 

"Tell  you  what  'tis,  Freshwater,"  put  in  Sam — 
"  you're  a  trump — and  trumps  war  al'ays  skeerce  when 
this  hyer  old  nigger  gambled  high ;  and  so  whensom- 
ever  I  got  a  trump,  d'ye  see,  I  al'ays  held  tight  on  to 
it,  and  val'ed  it  powerful ;  and  being's  I  val'e  you 
some'at — and  you've  did  me  a  good  turn  by-gone — 
why,  I'll  jest  turn  these  hyer  beaver  skins  into  tin, 
and  you  kin  take  the  pile  and  slide.  Augh  I" 

"Sam,"  cried  I,  seizing  his  horny  hand,  "  you  have 
a  soul  I" 


462  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Hev  I?"  said  Sam,  simply;  "wall,  that's  what  a 

Gospel  preacher  tell'd  me  once ;  but  my  old 

weather-beaten  carcass,  ef  ever  I  seed  it,  or  knows 
whar  it  ar' !  Ko  sir-ee — chaw  me !" 

"  But  should  I  borrow  your  money,  what  would 
you  do  through  the  winter  ?" 

"  Make  Injun  fixings,  and  sell  'em  to  the  traders — 
and  next  spring  thar's  more  beaver." 

li  I  thank  you  for  the  offer,  and  may  accept  of  it ; 
but  depend  upon  it,  if  I  do  take  your  money,  and 
live  to  return  to  the  States,  you.  shall  never  have 
reason  to  complain  of  a  bad  investment." 

"Don't  know  what  that  thar  is,"  pursued  Sam; 
"  but  if  it's  ary  thing  to  kivering,  you  needn't  mind 
gitting  it — fur  this  hyer  old  One-Eyed  never  war 
much  to  flummery,  gew-gaws,  and  gim-cracks — nary 
once.  Augh !" 

"  What  course  had  I  better  pursue  first  ?"  I  in 
quired  of  Varney. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  go  to  Pueblo  first,  and 
there  make  inquiries — as  it  is  very  likely,  if  the  par 
ties  went  to  Mexico,  that  they  stopped  there  on  their 
way." 

"  You  think,  then,  I  should  gain  nothing  by  going 
first  to  St.  Train's  ?" 

"  It  would  certainly  cause  much  delay,  and  I  think 
would  be  without  any  corresponding  advantage." 

"  Well,  I  will  be  guided  by  you,  my  friend ;  and 
for  Pueblo  we  will  set  out,  as  soon  as  Sam  shall  say 
ready." 


SEEIOUS     SPECULATIONS.  463 

"  Two  days  more,  Freshwater— jest  gin  this  hyer  old 
woodchuck  two  days  to  git  ready  in — and  then  we'll 
all  tramp  han'some — we  will.  But  mought  I  gin  you 
a  bit  of  advice  ?" 

"  Certainly,  Sam." 

"  Then  jest  you  go  in,  and  rub  off  that  thar  Injun 

grease — chop  off  that  thar old  pigtail —  put  a 

skin  kivering  over  your  noddle,  and  git  your  body 
inside  to  human  fixings ;  fur  if  you  don't  look  like  the 
devil  now,  you  do  like  one  of  his  imps ;  and  the  next 
white  gintleman  as  fotches  his  piece  to  b'ar  on  you, 
mought  spile  your  meat-trap.  Augh!  Thar's  the 
stuff  fur  you !  (pointing  to  a  heap  of  miscellaneous 
articles) — thar's  a  cougar  skin  to  make  a  cap  on  ; 
thar's  a  blanket  you  can  toggle  into  a-  hunting  frock ; 
thar's  dressed  deer-skin  fur  your  breeches ;  and  you 
kin  gamble  high  on  to  it,  that  you  won't  look  no 
worser  fur  transmogrifying  yourself  from  a  red-nigger 
into  a  white  gintleman.  Hey !  Shadbones  ?" 

"  I  'think  the  change  would  improve  his  appear 
ance,"  laughed  Yarney,  "  and  I  will  assist  him  to 
make  it.  No  wonder  I  did  not  sooner  recognize 
him." 

"  And  I'll  jest  take  a  tramp,  to  look  arter  my 
muleys,"  said  Sam,  catching  up  his  rifle  and  setting 
off  forthwith. 

The  moment  we  were  again  left  to  ourselves,  I  has 
tened  to  inquire  of  Yarney  concerning  one  whom  a 
feeling  of  delicacy  had  prevented  my  mentioning  in 
the  presence  of  a  third  party. 


464:  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

"  What  of  her  you  love,  my  friend  ?  what  of  Mary 
Edwards  ?"  I  said. 

"  I  have  heard  nothing  of  her  since  we  parted,"  was 
his  reply;  "but  if  she  is  living,  and  God  spares  my 
life,  I  hope  to  see  her  again  ere  long." 

"  Are  you  still  as  much  attached  to  her  as  when  we 
first  met  ?" 

"  Yes — my  heart  has  undergone  no  change  since. 
How  could  it,  Eoland  ?  I  loved  her  then,  and  true  love 
changes  not  by  absence.  It  was  for  her  I  sought  to 
prolong  my  life;  and  without  her,  I  fear  that  life 
would  now  be  valueless." 

"  But  if  she  has  heard  nothing  from  you,  what  more 
reasonable  than  for  her  to  suppose  you  dead  ?" 

"  I  have  often  fancied  that  she  is  mourning  me  as 
one  no  longer  among  the  living,"  replied  Varney, 
somewhat  dejectedly.  "Sweet  Mary!  with  what 
trembling  hope  have  I  looked  forward  to  our  meeting  1" 

"  Are  you  sure  of  her  heart,  Alfred  ?" 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?"  he  quickly  demanded. 

"  Are  you  sure  of  her  love  ?  Bear  in  mind,  that 
nothing  passed  between  you  on  this  subject !  and  she 
may  be  ignorant  of  the  affection  she  inspired — and, 
because  of  this,  may  have  turned  her  thoughts  to 
another — for  love,  to  be  lasting,  must  be  conscious  of 
reciprocity." 

"  You  startle  me,  Eoland !  Surely,  she  must  have 
known  I  loved  her !  for  she  could  not  but  have  seen 
it  in  my  every  action." 

"  Yet  love  is  exacting,  and  requires  more  assurance 


SERIOUS     SPECULATIONS.  465 

than  friendship  ;  and  moreover,  she  may  think  you  no 
longer  among  the  living.  Pardon  me,  if  I  say  any 
thing  to  give  pain,  or  even  uneasiness !  but  should 
any  thing  have  happened,  I  think  you  would  bear  it 
better  if  in  a  measure  prepared  for  the  blow." 

"  Speak  out,  Koland !"  cried  Yarney,  nervously 
grasping  my  arm,  and  looking  eagerly  and  anxiously 
into  my  face. 

"  Suppose  you  find  Mary  Edwards  the  wife  of 
another?" 

He  released  my  arm — staggered  back — and,  sitting 
down;  remained  silent  for  some  minutes. 

"  God  forbid  !"  he  exclaimed  at  length ;  "  God  for 
bid  !  for  then  indeed  might  I  wish  for  that  death  I 
have  so  long,  and  anxiously,  and  even  painfully, 
labored  to  shun  !  Enough!  my  dear  friend — enough! 
You  mean  me  well,  I  know ;  but  let  us  speculate  no 
more  on  a  matter  that  is  life  or  death  to  me !" 

The  subject  dropped  then,  nor  was  it  resumed  for  a 
long  time  after.  "What  I  had  said,  had  the  effect  to 
dampen  the  spirits  of  Varney,  so  that  at  times  he  was 
very  sad  and  gloomy ;  and  I  should  have  regretted 
giving  him  the  least  pain,  only  for  the  reasons  stated 
to  him,  that  I  feared  he  might  possibly  find  a  change, 
which,  coming  upon  him  suddenly,  and  without  pre 
vious  preparation,  might  be  productive  of  more  serious 
consequences. 

We  spent  the  two  succeeding  days  in  getting  ready 
for  our  departure.  I  employed  most  of  the  time  in 
effecting  a  much  desired  change  in  my  personal  ap- 


466  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

pearance,  and  Varney  assisted  me ;  while  Better  kept 
himself  busy,  in  scraping  and  drying  some  newly 
taken  beaver  skins,  and  in  repairing  his  mule  saddles, 
sacks  and  straps,  collecting  his  traps  and  camp  uten 
sils,  and  packing  all  snugly  for  safe  transportation. 

It  may  not  be  amiss,  in  this  connection,  to  mention 
the  mode  of  catching  the  beaver,  which  confers  the 
name  of  trapper  upon  such  as  make  a  living  by  this 
occupation.  Large  steel  traps  are  baited  with  an  oily 
substance,  taken  from  the  scrotum  of  the  beaver  itself, 
and  placed  in  the  "run"  of  the  animal,  under  -water. 
A  chain,  attached  to  the  trap,  is  then  made  fast  to  a 
picket,  or  sapling,  on  the  bank;  while  a  cord  con 
nects  with  a  stick,  which  floats  on  the  water — so  that, 
in  case  the  beaver  gets  away  with  the  trap,  its  locality 
maybe  readily  discovered.  The  bait,  called  "medi 
cine,"  the  beaver  scents  while  under  water ;  and  being 
curious  to  know  what  it  is,  and  why  it  is  there,  he 
hovers  about  the  trap,  till  accidentally  he  springs  it 
with  his  foot  and  is  caught.  He  is  thence  taken  out 
by  the  trapper  and  skinned;  and  his  skin,  scraped 
and  stretched  on  a  hoop,  is  dried  in  the  sun,  and  thus 
prepared  for  the  market — while  his  tail  is  carefully 
put  aside  as  a  bonne  bouche. 

Everything  being  prepared  for  our  journey,  we  set 
out  at  daylight  for  Pueblo,  on  the  third  morning  after 
my  arrival.  Varney  had  one  mule,  and  Botter  two ; 
but  as  the  trapper's  animals  were  both  well  laden,  we 
took  turns  in  riding  the  beast  of  Varney.  We  had 
pleasant  weather  all  the  way,  though  at  times  very 


NEWS    FROM    HOME.  467 

cold ;  and  in  five  days  we  reached  Pueblo,  without 
accident  or  incident  worthy  of  note. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

NEWS     FROM     HOME. 

PUEBLO  de  San  Carlos,  or  Village  of  St.  Charles,  as 
it  is  called,  is  a  small,  square  fort,  built  of  adobes, 
with  a  wall  about  eight  feet  high,  which  stands  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Arkansas,  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  base  of  the  mountains.  It  is  occupied  by 
Indian  traders,  coureurs  des  bois,  and  mountaineers, 
with  their  Indian  and  Mexican  wives  and  children ; 
and  at  the  time  I  visited  it,  I  could  not  discover  that 
its  tenants  were  remarkable  for  either  beauty,  clean 
liness,  intelligence  or  refinement.  They  were  about 
as  civil,  however,  as  tame  bears — and  this  was  as 
much,  perhaps,  as  I  had  a  right  to  expect. 

On  pushing  my  inquiries  here,  I  finally  learned, 
from  a  respectable  looking  half-breed,  that  more  than 
a  year  ago,  two  persons,  answering  the  description  of 
El  Doliente  and  Adele,  accompanied  by  a  negro,  had 
made  a  short  halt  at  the  fort,  and  employed  a  guide 
to  conduct  them  to  Santa  Fe.  This  intelligence, 
which  to  me  was  of  great  importance,  was  all  I  could 
gather ;  and  as  may  readily  be  believed,  I  was  more 


468  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

eager  to  extend  my  journey  to  a  point  where  I  might 
possibly  obtain  more  definite  information. 

"  If  I  only  had  the  means,"  said  I  to  Varney,  "  to 
morrow  should  see  me  en  route  to  the  capital  of  New 
Mexico." 

"  Would  to  Heaven  I  had  enough  for  both !"  he 
replied. 

"  We  must  go  first  to  Bent's,"  I  rejoined  ;  "  and  if  I 
can  recover  the  money  I  left  there,  I  think,  with 
what  you  have,  and  proper  economy,  we  shall  be  able 
to  travel  respectably  among  civilized  people,  at  least 
for  a  time." 

"  You  knows  what  this  hyer  old  hoss  told  ye  up 
to  the  mountains,  I  expect,  Freshwater !"  observed 
Better,  who  chanced  to  overhear  my  remark. 

"I  do ;  and  I  thank  you,  from  my  heart,  for  your 
generous  offer,  Sam ;  but  if  I  can  get  along  without 
touching  your  hard  earnings,  I  would  rather  do  so." 

"  It'll  be  all  the  same  to  old  One-Eyed  Sam  afore 
spring — you  kin  gamble  on  to  that  thar !"  he  rejoined, 
good  humoredly.  "  Every  dollar  this  hyer  nigger 
gits,  is  greased  beautiful ;  and  the  way  they  slides 
through  these  hyer  old  j'ints,  is  a  caution  to  old  Kain- 
tuck.  Augh  1" 

Yarney  traded  his  mule  for  a  horse,  and  purchased 
another  for  me ;  and  the  second  morning  after  reach 
ing  the  Pueblo,  we  set  off  for  Bent's  Fort,  distant 
about  seventy  miles.  We  camped  out  one  night,  and 
reached  our  destination  before  dark  of  the  second  day, 
in  good  bodily  condition.  Here  I  met  with  a  sur- 


NEWS    FROM    HOME.  469 

prise,  which  gave  me  both  pleasure  and  pain — being 
no  less  than  a  letter  from  my  father,  accompanied 
with  a  heavy  purse  of  gold. 

Having  never  written  home  since  the  letter  dated 
on  board  the  steamer  Missouri,  which  the  reader 
doubtless  remembers — and  having  mentioned  in  that, 
that  I  contemplated  going  as  far  west  as  Bent's  Fort — 
my  father  had  become  extremely  anxious  concerning 
my  long  absence  and  silence,  and  had  actually  dis 
patched  a  messenger  to  this  point  in  quest  of  me. 
The  messenger  had  remained  here  a  month — and  had 
gone  back  with  a  belief  that  I  was  no  longer  among 
the  living — but  had  left  the  purse  of  gold  and  letter 
with  Mr.  Bent,  to  be  put  in  my  possession,  in  case  I 
should  be  heard  of  within  a  couple  of  years.  The 
epistle  of  my  father,  even  before  I  broke  the  seal,  ex 
cited  strange  and  powerful  emotions;  and  with  a 
trembling  hand,  and  something  like  a  guilty  con 
science,  I  tore  it  open,  and  read  as  follows  : 

"  My  dear  Son ! — If  ever  you  see  these  lines,  you 
will  learn  that  your  parents  are  almost  broken-hearted, 
on  account  of  your  long  absence  and  silence.  If  liv 
ing,  may  you  never  feel  the  keen  pang  of  disappoint 
ment  we  all  felt — but  your  mother  and  myself 
especially — on  the  receipt  of  your  letter  from  Missouri, 
which  told  us  you  were  about  to  cross  the  plains  to 
Bent's  Fort,  and  would  not  be  with  us  on  your  birth 
day.  From  that  moment  I  have  been  growing  old — 
and  with  that  intelligence  my  fondest  hope  perished. 
Why  did  you  leave  me  at  such  a  time  ?  You  know 


470  THE    BOEDER    KOVEK. 

how  much  I  counted  on  retiring  from  business,  and 
seeing  you  duly  installed  my  successor !  I  could  not 
think  of  continuing  the  business  any  longer  ;  and  so, 
on  your  twenty-first  anniversary — you  not  being 
present — the  establishment  of  your  father,  and  which 
might  have  been  yours,  passed  into  the  hands  of  your 
brothers-in-law — who,  for  reasons  that  I  will  explain, 
if  ever  I  see  you,  have  changed  the  firm  of  Rivers  & 
Co.  to  that  of  Golden  and  Sharp.  If  you  want  to 
know  more,  Mr.  Spencer,  the  agent  I  send  out  to  find 
you,  will  inform  you.  I  also  send  you  a  thousand 
dollars  in  gold,  not  knowing  what  your  wants  may 
be.  Oh !  my  son,  if  among  the  living,  do  come  home, 
and  all  shall  be  forgiven.  I  found,  from  your  letter, 
that  the  life  I  had  proposed  for  you  was  not  to  your 
liking :  you  should  have  told  me  of  this  before  you 
left.  It  has  been  a  great  disappointment  to  me — but 
let  that  pass.  If  I  ever  get  you  with  me  again,  I 
think  I  shall  be  quite  happy,  comparatively  speaking. 
Golden  and  Sharp  are  worthy  young  men,  and  have 
good  judgment  and  business  tact.  Your  friends  are 
all  usually  well,  except  your  mother,  who  frets  a  good 
deal  about  you,  which  wears  upon  her.  All  send  love, 
and  so  I  need  not  specify.  Will  you  not  come  home, 
and  make  all  our  hearts  glad?  Your  affectionate 
father,  &c." 

To  this  epistle,  which  bore  date  the  preceding 
March,  there  was  a  postscript,  which  said  a  volume  in 
a  few  words. 

"Roland,   my   son,   God  bless  you!    If  you  are 


NEWS    FROM    HOME.  471 

alive,  I  know  you  will  hasten  home,  and  make  happy 
the  heart  of  your  now  unhappy  mother." 

The  hand  that  had  penned  these  lines  was  my 
mother's,  and  that  hand  had  trembled  so  as  to  make 
the  writing  nearly  illegible,  and  there  was  the  stain 
of  a  tear  upon  the  page.  As  I  finished  reading  the 
whole,  I  handed  the  letter  in  silence  to  Varney ;  and 
sinking  down  upon  a  seat,  my  overcharged  heart 
found  some  relief  in  a  flood  of  tears. 

"  What  do  you  now  propose,  my  friend?"  inquired 
Yarney,  when  I  had  in  a  great  degree  regained  my 
usual  composure. 

"  I  must  go  home,  Alfred.  I  must  set  out  immedi 
ately  too.  Mr.  Spencer  has  returned — and  even  now 
my  parents  are  mourning  me  as  dead.  Heaven  help 
me!  Should  my  disobedience — for  I  can  call  it  by 
no  other  term — be  the  means  of  shortening  the  days 
of  my  dear  mother,  I  shall  never  forgive  myself— 
shall  never  be  happy  again." 

"I  fear  I  am  much  to  blame  for  all  this,"  said 
Yarney,  sadly. 

"  You,  my  dear  friend  ?  no !"  cried  I,  grasping  his 
hand.  "  It  is  I,  and  I  alone,  that  am  to  blame." 

"  But  you  know  I  was  anxious  to  have  you  go  with 
me,  Koland !" 

"  But,  at  the  same  time,  I  remember  you  urged  me 
to  do  only  what  I  thought  best,  and  I  thought  best  to 
go.  No,  Yarney,  do  not  accuse  yourself  of  leading 
me  astray,  or  I  shall  have  more  to  regret  than  now." 


472  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  But  had  it  not  been  for  me,  you  might  not  have 
come  hither  1" 

"  Say  rather,  had  it  not  been  for  my  own  desire. 
Did  I  not  contemplate  making  such  a  journey  before 
I  left  home  ?  long  ere  I  saw  you,  or  knew  you  had  an 
existence  ?  "What  folly,  Alfred,  to  reflect  upon  your 
self,  in  a  case  in  which,  to  say  the  most,  you  have  only 
been  an  accessory  after  the  fact." 

"  But  even  that  is  criminal  in  law." 

"  Only  when  the  original  deed  is  criminal,  remem 
ber,  and  amenable  to  the  law !  But  enough  of  this, 
my  friend !  There  is  no  analogy  between  the  fact,  as 
it  stands,  and  the  figure  by  which  we  have  chosen  to 
represent  it — and  so  let  the  subject  drop.  We  are  all 
creatures  of  circumstance;  and  a  train  of  circum 
stances,  which  nothing  human  could  foresee,  have 
placed  me  here  at  a  period  remote  from  my  intentions. 
If  I  have  erred — and  God,  who  knows  all  things,  only 
knows  whether  I  have  done  wrong  to  myself  and 
those  who  gave  me  being, — if  I  have  erred,  I  say,  I 
must  now  endeavor  to  retrieve  the  error,  as  much  as 
possible,  by  setting  forth  immediately  upon  my  return 
to  those  who  are  mourning  me  as  dead." 

"  Then  you  will  not  endeavor  to  find  Adele  ?" 

"  Ah !  Adele — sweet  Adele !  how  that  name  thrills 
through  my  soul !  Alfred,  you  love — you  know  what 
love  is — advise  me — what  shall  I  do?  Shall  I  at 
tempt  to  find  her  ?  and  if  so,  for  what  purpose  ?  to 
what  end  ?  To  know  her  the  wife  of  another — that 
would  be  terrible.  To  know  her  the  victim  of  a  vil- 


NEWS    FKOM    HOME.  473 

lain — that  would  be  worse.  In  either  case,  I  should 
be  more  miserable,  perhaps,  than  I  am  now — and 
Heaven  knows  I  am  very  far  from  being  happy  at 
this  moment." 

"Then,  as  soon  as 'you  like,  we  will  set  off  across 
the  plains  for  Independence." 

"  You  think  such  a  course  best,  Alfred,  all  things 
considered  ?" 

"  All  things  considered,  I  do.  You  might  not  find 
Adele,  should  you  seek  her;  and  if  found,  the  hap 
piness  you  seek  might  not  be  found  with  her." 

"  It  is  settled  then — let  us  inquire  when  the  next 
train  goes  eastward !"  said  I. 

But  it  was  not  settled — at  least  not  settled  as  I  had 
supposed.  I  believe,  to  some  extent,  in  destiny ;  and 
it  was  my  destiny,  ere  long,  to  gather  such  intelli 
gence  as,  in  one  sense,  almost  compelled  me,  in  my 
vacillating  state  of  mind — swayed  as  it  was  by  every 
strong  emotion — to  change  my  design.  On  making 
inquiries,  I  learned  among  other  matters  of  interest 
to  me,  that  El  Doliente  had  been  here  with  Adele ; 
that  he  had  left  full  pay  for  such  of  the  party  as  had 
gone  with  him  in  quest  of  the  girl,  and  had  not  re 
turned,  and  were  not  known  to  have  been  killed  by 
the  Indians ;  that  the  conduct  of  both  had  been  such 
as  to  win  the  esteem  and  love  of  the  high-minded; 
that  Adele  had  more  than  once  mentioned  my  name, 
but  always  with  tears ;  and  that  both  had  set  out  for 
Santa  Fe,  by  way  of  Pueblo,  and  expected  to  spend  a 
few  days  with  the  Governor  of  New  Mexico.  Add  to 


474  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

this,  that  I  found  here  the  very  person — a  Mexican — 
who  had  been  hired  at  Pueblo  to  guide  them  to  Santa 
Fe  ;  that  he  stated  he  had  seen  them  cordially  received 
by  Governor  Armijo  and  his  family ;  and  that  he  spoke 
of  El  Doliente  as  a  gentleman,  and  of  Adele  as  one 
of  the  kindest  and  most  beautiful  ladies  he  had  ever 
met:  add  these  facts  to  the  foregoing,  I  say,  and  take 
every  thing  into  consideration,  and  I  think  the  reader 
will  not  be  surprised  at  my  putting  off  my  journey 
homeward,  till  I  had  made  another  in  a  contrary 
direction,  and  gathered  further  tidings  of  one  who 
still  held  the  first  place  in  my  affection. 

"  Alfred,"  said  I,  "  you  must  by  this  time  be  aware 
that  your  companion  is  a  man  of  whims,  without 
stability  of  purpose.  Already  have  I  again  changed 
my  plan.  I  am  now  resolved  upon  a  journey  to  Santa 
Fe ;  but  I  will  not  be  so  selfish  as  to  ask  you  to 
accompany  me ;  for  now  that  you  have  been  led  to 
look  upon  a  speedy  return  to  the  States  as  a  matter 
of  certainty,  it  would  be  cruel  to  drag  you  away  upon 
a  long  journey  of  hardship  and  peril — a  journey — " 

" Stop  I"  cried  Varney,  interrupting  me :  "you  have 
said  enough,  unless  your  object  be  to  give  offence. 
I  trust,  whatever  may  be  my  imperfections,  ingrati 
tude  is  not  one  of  them.  I  have  not  forgotten  how 
you  stood  by  me  in  my  distress,  when  I  had  not 
another  friend  to  call  upon ;  and  if  I  desert  you  now, 
may  my  limbs  wither,  and  my  heart  turn  to  stone !" 

It  being  now  finally  settled  that  we  should  depart 
for  Santa  Fe,  I  lost  no  time  in  making  further  im- 


NEWS    FROM    HOME.  475 

provements  in  my  personal  appearance,  by  purchasing 
and  donning  a  still  more  civilized  costume  than  I  had 
been  able  to  manufacture  from  the  materials  furnished 
by  the  old  trapper.  I  did  not  succeed  in  getting  what 
might  be  termed  a  citizen's  dress — but  only  a  slight 
improvement  on  the  mountaineer's — yet  it  was  so 
much  superior  to  the  patched  articles  I  laid  aside,  that 
I  looked  into  a  hand  mirror  with  pride,  and  really  felt 
quite  fashionable.  My  hair — or  rather  the  want  of 
it — was  a  source  of  considerable  annoyance  for  a  time ; 
but  I  finally  succeeded  in  purchasing,  of  a  Canadian 
Frenchman,  a  respectable  looking  wig,  which  put  my 
mind  at  ease  on  that  point.  Thus  renewed,  in  the 
outer  man  at  least — and  having  recovered  my  money, 
hired  the  guide  of  El  Doliente,  and  settled  everything 
to  my  satisfaction — we  bade  adieu  to  Bent's  Fort,  and 
hastened  back  to  Pueblo,  where  we  stopped  to  lay  in 
some  provisions,  that  we  might  not  be  hindered  by 
being  compelled  to  hunt  game  for  food.  Here  I  saw 
Botter  for  the  last  time;  and  after  informing  him  of 
all  that  had  occurred,  he  replied,  in  his  characteristic 
manner : 

"  Chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar,  Freshwater,  but  your  old 
dad's  some  punks!  A  thousand  shiners,  hey?  Why, 
riddle  my  old  carcass  with  ramrods,  ef  it  wouldn't 
take  this  hyer  old  one-eyed  nigger  a  desperate  spell 
to  fotch  in  enough  beaver  to  them  thar !  yes-sir-ee ! 
And  all  fur  nothing!  He's  a  trump — you  kin  gamble 
high  on  to  him,  boy;  and  I'm  glad  on't;  fur  you  is 
some'at  to  a  younker,  and  not  nigh  so  green  as  you 


476  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

was — nary  once.  Augh !  And  so  the  Cap'in  left  the 
tin  fur  the  boys,  hey  ?  fur  them  as  didn't  git  rubbed 
out  ?  Wall,  that  thar  war  decent,  Freshwater — hey ! 
Shadbones? — yes-sir-ee — chaw  me!  Wall,  may  be 
he  wasn't  sich  a rascal  arter  all — hope  he  wasn't." 

"  They  gave  him  an  excellent  character  at  Bent's," 
I  rejoined. 

"  Wall,  I  'spect  he's  got  white  blood  into  him,  and 
knows  what  decency  is ;  but  ef  he  didn't  love  that 
thar  gal,  Freshwater,  harder  nor  nary  mule  kin  kick, 
then  chaw  me  up  fur  a  liar !  and  call  this  hyer  old 

beaver  a  one-eyed  old  woodchuck!  Augh! 

wagh !  shagh !" 

"  Are  you  certain,  Sam  ?" 

"I  seed  it,  Freshwater — old  One-Eyed  seed  it — yes- 
sir-ee  !  And  he  knowed  she  war  your  meat,  too — ef 
he  didn't,  why  was  eyes  made  ?  But  he  mought  hev 
thought  you  war  rubbed  out,  d'ye  see  ?  which  all  on 
us  did,  you  know." 

"And  Adele?"  inquired  I,  nervously:  "did  she 
seem  to  return  his  passion  ?" 

" Not  to  fust — nary  once;  but  I  reckon  she  gin  in 
afore  she  left." 

"  I  hardly  know  whether  to  think  him  a  villain  or 
not!"  said  I,  greatly  troubled  and  perplexed.  "  There 
has  been  mystery  about  the  whole  affair,  from  begin 
ning  to  end.  When  I  first  mentioned  her,  he  got 
excited;  in  listening  to  her  history,  he  acted  like  a 
madman ;  and  ever  after,  even  in  fitting  out  the  expe 
dition  and  going  in  quest  of  her,  he  displayed  an 


NEWS    FROM    HOME.  477 

interest  in  her  fate  and  fortune  which  is  unaccount 
able." 

"  You  jest  ought  to  heerd  him  go  on,  when 
he  found  the  Injins  had  got  the  best  of  us,  and 
knowed  thar  wasn't  nary  chance  to  gitting  the  gal 
away!"  said  Better — u  fur,  in  course,  he  didn't  know 
as  she'd  put  out  with  you.  Chaw  me,  Freshwater — 
but,  fur  a  leetle  while,  he  made  all  howl  beautiful. 
Augh!" 

"  Well,  it  is  all  very  strange,  and  I  know  not  what 
to  think,"  said  I.  "  If  I  can  ascertain  that  he  really 
loves  the  girl,  and  has  made  her  his  wife,  I  shall 
retire,  without  disturbing  their  happiness,  and  return 
home  a  sadder,  and  perhaps  a  wiser,  man ;  but  if  I 
find  he  has  wronged  Adele  Loyola,  then  will  I  pray 
to  be  set  face  to  face  with  him,  and  let  God  judge 
between  us  I" 

"  Them's  'em  I"  returned  Sam.  "  Go  in,  Freshwa 
ter  I  I'll  gamble  on  to  you." 

At  the  filial  parting,  Better  shook  hands  with  both 
Varney  and  myself;  and,  for  an  old  mountaineer, 
used  to  all  kinds  of  changes  and  vicissitudes,  he 
seemed  not  a  little  affected. 

"  Good-by,  boys !"  he  said,  in  a  rather  unsteady 
voice ;  "  and  as  this  hyer  old  nigger's  Kaintuck  dad 
used  to  say — may  your  meat  never  run  out,  nor  your 
corn-crib  git  low !  Expect  it  'aint  like  you'll  ever  see 
this  hyer  old  One-Eyed  agin — nary  once — chaw  me  ! 
Augh  !  But  ef  we  don't  never  meet  agin,  I  hope  you 
won't  forgit  as  how  we've  all  been  in  whar  blood  was 


478  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

drawed,  and  hev  seed  snakes  afore  now ;  and  ef  you've 
got  a  stray  thought  to  spar',  you'll  let  her  slide  to  the 
mountains,  whar  she'll  find  old  Sam  cotching  beavers 
and  raising  ha'r  till  he  goes  under." 

"  God  bless  you,  Sam !"  said  I,  shaking  his  honest 
hand  heartily :  "  while  memory  lasts,  you  will  not  be 
forgotten  by  me !" 

"  Let  me  echo  the  words  of  my  friend !"  said  Var- 
ney,  with  feeling. 

"  Chaw  me  I"  rejoined  the  old  trapper,  turning  away, 
and  bringing  his  hand  quickly  across  his  eye.  lt  I 

haint  felt  so  womanish  sence  Wolfy  quit  to  the 

Pawnees — nary  once.  Augh  !  Wall,  good -by,  boys ! 
and  hyer's  a  old  one-eyed  beaver  as  will  travel  fur  a 
wet.  Augh  !  augh !" 

With  this  Sam  turned  abruptly  away,  and  disap 
peared  within  the  fort.  We  never  saw  him  again. 


CHAPTER  XXXY. 

A     LONG     JOURNEY. 

WELL  mounted  and  armed,  with  our  Mexican  guide 
and  a  pack-mule,  we  left  Pueblo  de  San  Carlos,  one 
cold,  raw  day,  and  soon  struck  into  a  mountainous 
region,  in  one  of  whose  valleys  we  made  our  first 
camp,  the  cold  being  very  intense.  But  as  it  is  not 
my  purpose  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  our  journey 
to  Santa  Fe,  I  will  merely  remark,  that  we  arrived 


A    LONG    JOURNEY.  479 

safely  at  the  then  dirty  capital  of  New-Mexico,  in 
something  less  than  two  weeks  from  crossing  the  Ar 
kansas — having  passed  more  than  one  night  in  a  snow 
storm,  and  suffered  severely  from  the  cold.  To  say 
I  was  disappointed  and  disgusted  with  the  appearance 
of  the  town,  will  only  be  to  tell  about  half  of  the 
truth,  and  add  my  testimony  to  that  of  every  foreigner 
visiting  it  for  the  first  time.  It  contained,  at  this 
period,  a  miserable  population  of  some  two  or  three 
thousand — a  mongrel  collection  of  Mexicans,  Indians, 
and  negroes,  with  a  few  foreigners,  mostly  traders — 
none  of  whom  could  boast  of  anything  better  than  a 
mud  dwelling,  and  a  large  portion  of  whom  lived  in 
huts  hardly  fit  to  be  classed  with  respectable  dog-ken 
nels.  There  was  one  exception- — the  palacio,  or  palace, 
of  the  Governor — a  long,  low  building,  with  adobe 
walls,  which  occupied  nearly  one  side  of  the  Grande 
Plaza,  or  principal  square,  and  which  displayed  a 
colonnade  of  rough  pine  pillars.  I  have  since  seen 
the  town  compared  to  a  dilapidated  brick-kiln,  or 
prairie  dog-town,  and  I  think  the  comparison  does  it 
ample  justice.  Having  passed,  on  our  way  hither, 
through  the  comparatively  neat  and  flourishing  valley 
of  Taos — and  having,  moreover,  heard  much  of  Santa 
Fe  as  a  great  trading  mart — we  had  drawn  freely  upon 
our  imaginations,  and  pictured  forth  the  place  as  one 
of  neatness  and  beauty;  but,  unfortunately  for  our 
fanciful  creations,  we  found  it  what  I  have  described  it. 
"  Well,  Alfred,"  said  I,  as  we  plodded  our  way 


480  THE    BOEDER    KOVEK. 

through  the  dirty  streets,  toward  the  residence  of  Gov 
ernor  Armijo— "  what  do  you  think  of  this  ?" 

"  That  the  sooner  we  leave  it  the  better,"  was  his 
reply.  "  If  El  Doliente  has  any  taste,  you  will  not 
find  him  here — nor,  for  that  matter,  Adele  either." 

"I  think  you  are  right,"  I  rejoined,  i(  but  we  must 
make  inquiry  in  the  right  quarter." 

On  reaching  the  Governor's  Palace — as  it  was 
termed  by  way  of  distinction — we  learned,  much  to 
our  regret,  that  he  and  his  family  had  gone  to  a  dis 
tant  part  of  the  province,  and  were  not  expected  here 
for  a  couple  of  months  at  least — his  principal  resi 
dence  being  at  Albuquerque,  several  leagues  further 
south. 

"  Then  we  have  had  our  journey  for  nothing  I"  said 
I,  bitterly;  "for  after  what  I  have  seen  of  these  dirty, 
cut-throat-looking  Mexicans,  nothing  shall  tempt  me 
to  penetrate  further  into  their  miserable  country !" 

Through  our  guide — who  had,  as  I  have  stated,  con 
ducted  El  Doliente  hither — we  learned  that  he  had 
remained  but  a  few  days  with  the  Governor,  and  had 
set  off  south,  with  another  guide,  taking  Adele  and 
Cato  with  him ;  but  what  destination  he  then  had  in 
view,  no  one  knew — and  I  think  I  venture  nothing 
in  adding,  no  one  cared  to  know.  One  of  the  Gover 
nor's  servants  stated  to  our  guide,  that  he  had  heard 
the  Spaniard,  in  conversation  with  his  master,  mention 
New  Orleans  quite  frequently — and  inferred  that  he 
intended  to  visit  that  city — but  whether  for  the  pur 
pose  of  taking  up  his  residence  there,  or  not,  he  could 


A    LONG    JOURNEY.  481 

not  say.  This  was  all  the  news  we  could  gather  of 
any  importance — and  this  really  amounted  to  nothing. 

"Well,  Eoland,  what  now  ?"  inquired  Yarney,  in  a 
tone  that  showed  he  felt  for  my  disappointment. 

"We  will  start  for  Independence  with  the  first 
train  that  goes  out,"  said  I. 

Fortunately  there  was  one,  of  some  twenty  teams, 
going  to  set  out  on  the  following  day ;  and  having 
made  all  our  arrangements  to  accompany  it,  we  had 
only  one  night  of  misery  to  pass  in  the  loathsome 
place — a  place  which,  I  can  truly  say,  I  entered  with 
disgust  and  left  with  delight. 

I  need  not  dwell  upon  our  long,  wearisome  journey 
back  to  Independence,  in  the  State  of  Missouri.  Suf 
fice,  that  we  passed  in  safety,  though  surrounded  by 
perils,  over  the  then  cold,  bleak,  desolate  plains ;  and 
arrived  at  our  destination,  with  the  snow  a  foot 
deep  and  falling,  in  the  month  of  January,  18 — .  Had 
we  been  a  week  later  in  setting  out,  we  should  pro 
bably  have  perished  on  the  prairies — as  the  snow  fell 
to  a  great  depth,  and  drifted  to  a  height  of  twenty 
feet. 

On  reaching  Independence,  though  more  than  two 
thousand  miles  distant  from  my  native  city,  I  felt  as 
if  I  had  got  within  a  few  steps  of  home ;  and  had  my 
heart  been  as  free  as  when  I  beheld  the  place  for  the 
first  time,  my  delight  would  have  been  excessive.  As 
it  was,  I  was  glad  to  get  here,  and  feel  that  I  was  once 
more  safe  from  the  perils  of  the  wilderness ;  my  de 
sire  to  rove  beyond  the  borders  had  been  gratified  ; 
29 


482  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

I  had  seen  enough,  of  the  Far  West  and  its  wild  life 
of  adventure;  but  the  thought  that  Adele — sweet, 
beautiful  Adele — was  lost  to  me  for  ever,  rendered  me 
sad  and  gloomy,  even  with  the  prospect  before  me  of 
a  speedy  return  to  those  I  had  loved  with  a  filial  love 
before  loving  her. 

At  the  inn  where  we  had  stopped  on  our  way  out, 
we  found  our  baggage,  all  safe,  and  our  clothes  in 
good  condition ;  and  we  now  made  as  much  haste  to 
don  civilized  attire,  as  we  had  then  to  put  on  the  cos 
tume  of  the  mountaineer.  But  though  we  were  free 
to  acknowledge  that  our  more  fashionable  apparel 
improved  us  externally  in  a  wonderful  degree,  yet 
we  found  it  anything  but  agreeable  to  get  into  tight 
boots,  and  close-fitting  coats,  and  have  stiff,  heavy 
hats  pressing  upon  our  foreheads,  to  say  nothing  of 
bungling  cravats  and  starched  shirt  collars.  But 
knowing  as  we  did  that  we  were  about  to  appear  once 
more  among  civilized  and  enlightened  people — where 
fashion  rules,  and  requires  all,  who  would  be  thought 
respectable,  to  sacrifice  comfort  to  external  show — we 
bore  our  afflictions  meekly,  and  with  the  resignation 
of  martyrs. 

As  good  luck  would  have  it,  the  winter,  so  far,  had 
been  mild  and  open ;  and  on  the  second  day  after 
reaching  Independence,  we  were  enabled  to  get  on 
board  of  a  steamer,  bound  down  the  Missouri  to  St. 
Louis.  It  was  indeed  a  most  fortunate  occurrence  for 
us,  and  a  narrow  escape,  for  the  river  froze  a  few  days 
subsequently,  and  navigation  continued  closed  for  two 


A    LONG    JOURNEY.  483 

or  three  months — which  would  have  compelled  us  to 
remain  in  a  not  very  agreeable  frontier  settlement,  or 
make  a  cold,  tedious,  overland  journey  of  nearly  four 
hundred  miles. 

"Human  life,"  observed  Varney,  reflectively,  as 
arm-in-arm  we  walked  up  and  down  the  saloon,  "is 
to  each  individual  a  world;  and  what  important 
changes  in  that  world  may  a  few  days,  or  weeks,  or 
months  effect?  Here  now  are  you  and  I,  Roland, 
almost  at  the  very  point  where  first  we  met  nearly 
two  years  ago — but  how  changed  is  the  world  of  each 
since  then! — or  rather,  how  changed  is  mine!" 

"Say -how  changed  to  both!"  I  replied;  "for  I 
sadly  feel  I  am  not  the  same  man  I  was  then,  and 
therefore  see  not  the  world  I  saw." 

"Then,"  pursued  Yarney,  "I  was  almost  a  helpless 
invalid,  struggling  for  that  life,  that  world,  which  I 
have  since  attained." 

"Then,"  rejoined  I,  "I  had  a  world  of  happiness 
before  me,  which  is  now  obscured  by  clouds  of  gloom. 
I  was  almost  happy  then — I  am  very  far  from  being 
happy  now." 

"  In  so  much  do  we  change  places,"  continued  Var 
ney,  "  that  I  was  unhappy  then,  but  might  be  happy 
now,  if  I  could  feel  assured  that  one  bright,  lovely 
being  longs  for  my  return." 

"In  so  much  do  we  change  places,"  I  repeated, 
"  that  then  I  had  hope,  but  now  feel  despondency — 
you  then  were  despondent,  but  now  have  hope." 

"But  if  my  hope  should  fail  me,  Eoland  ?" 


484:  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

11  Then  would  the  changes  of  our  worlds  cause  us  to 
meet  in  sympathy  on  equal  ground,"  said  I. 

"  Oh  !  if,  after  all,  sweet  Mary  can  never  be  mine,  I 
shall  ever  regret  that  I  did  not  permit  my  spirit  to 
take  its  flight  in  her  sweet  presence!"  almost  groaned 
Yarney. 

"  Adele — pure,  confiding  Adele — is  lost  to  me  for 
ever!"  I  rejoined,  in  a  tremulous  voice. 

"  Koland,"  cried  Yarney,  anxiously,  "  you  must  go 
South  with  me,  and  be  witness  of  my  happiness  or 
misery." 

11  To  witness  your  happiness  would  make  me 
miserable,  Alfred — to  witness  your  misery  would 
make  me  wretched!"  I  replied.  "No,  my  friend, 
under  the  circumstances  I  would  not  go  with  you." 

"  But  I  am  too  selfish  to  part  with  you  at  this  try 
ing  moment,"  pursued  Yarney,  earnestly.  "I  must 
have  one  friend  by  me,  Roland ;  and  what  friend  have 
I,  save  you,  if  not  her  I  love  ?  I  have  worldly  friends, 
Koland — bat  none  of  the  heart — none  to  whom  I 
could  unbosom  my  soul,  and  confide  the  one  great 
secret  of  life  or  death.  I  have  no  father,  no  mother, 
no  sister,  no  brother  but  you — you  and  Mary  are  my 
world — my  all :  I  cannot  lose  you  both  at  once  !"  and 
his  eyes  filled  with  tears.  "  You  have  been  with  me 
long,  Roland ;  you  know  all  my  weak  points — my 
failings — " 

"Say  rather  I  know  your  virtues,  Alfred,"  I  in 
terposed. 

"  You  have  stood  nobly  by  me  in  times  of  peril, 


A    LONG    JOURNEY.  485 

trial  and  distress,  and  you  must  not  part  from  me  now 
— I  cannot  have  it  so.  I  know  I  am  selfish.  I  know  I 
am  asking  a  great  boon,  to  take  you  away  from  your 
anxious  friends,  for  even  a  few  days;  but  happiness 
is  what  we  all,  poor  mortals,  seek  ;  and  it  would  make 
me  so  happy  to  have  you  with  me !" 

"Ask  anything  else  in  my  power  to  grant,  Alfred, 
even  to  the  dividing  of  my  fortune,  and  you  shall  not 
ask  in  vain.  And  yet,"  I  added,  after  a  moment's 
reflection,  perceiving  Yarney's  disappointed  and 
dejected  look,  "  I  hardly  know  why  I  would  refuse 
you  this  simple  request ! — perhaps  because  I  have  so 
intently  fixed  my  mind  upon  reaching  home  in  the 
shortest  possible  time,  and  dread  to  turn  aside  to  look 
upon  new  scenes,  of  which  I  have  seen  more  than 
enough — perhaps  because  my  heart  is  sad  and  lonely, 
and  I  long  to  get  among  my  friends  and  look  no  more 
upon  strange  faces  for  a  time.  But  you  turned  aside 
for  me,  Alfred,  and  I  ought  to  do  this  much  for  you. 
I  could  write  home,  it  is  true,  and  assure  my  parents 
of  my  safety." 

"  Yes !"  cried  Yarney,  eagerly,  his  features  brighten 
ing  with  hope  ;  "  and  oh !  I  will  do  everything  I  can 
to  make  the  journey  pleasant  and  cheerful !" 

"  To  seek  to  win  my  thoughts  from  Adele,  Alfred, 
would  be  to  labor  in  vain.  Her  image  is  enshrined 
in  my  heart,  and  every  beat  of  that  heart  brings  her 
before  my  mental  vision.  Time  may  wear  off  the 
impression — but  I  fear  there  will  ever  be  a  void  there, 
which  she  alone  might  fill.  You  know  her  not,  Alfred 


486  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

— and  coTild  never  know  her  as  I  do :  for  in  our  long 
flight  from  captivity,  surrounded  by  perils — the  hap 
piest  days  of  my  existence — I  had  an  opportunity  to 
look  down,  as  it  were,  into  her  very  soul ;  and  I  saw 
it  was  pure  as  an  angel's — unstained  by  even  a  sinful 
thought.  And  now  where  is  she  ?  and  what  is  her 
fate?  Oh!  I  grow  sick  at  the  thought!  and  become 
very,  very  miserable  when  I  think.  There  is  no 
balm  for  me  but  time,  Alfred — and  time  may  fail  to 
heal  the  grief  I  feel  at  her  loss :  I  know  I  can  never 
displace  her  memory.  But  enough  of  this !  Where 
would  you  have  me  go,  Alfred?" 

"  First  to  New  Orleans :  there  I  may  possibly  learn 
if  Mary  still  lives,  and  lives  for  me." 

"  And  what  then  ?" 

"If  so,  we  will  set  off  at  once  for  Ingledale — the 
plantation  seat  of  General  Edwards — about  fifty  miles 
distant." 

"  And  if  not  so,  Alfred?" 

"Then,"  he  said,  smothering  his  emotion,  "I  know 
not  what." 

"  You  will  go  home  with  me  ?" 

"If  you  desire  it." 

"  Enough,  Alfred— I  will  go  I" 

He  grasped  my  hand. 

"  But  one  proviso,"  I  added. 

"Name  it." 

"  If  you  go  to  seek  your  Mary,  I  return  alone." 

"  Would  you  not  accompany  me  to  Ingledale  ?" 

"  I  would  rather  not." 


A    LONG    JOURNEY.  487 

"  Be  it  so  then." 

"  New  Orleans !"  continued  I,  musingly.  "  It  was 
the  city  mentioned.  Oh !  if  I  only  dared  to  hope !" 

"  You  are  thinking  of  what  you  heard  at  Santa 
Fe?"  said  Varney,  inquiringly. 

"lam." 

"  I  dare  not  excite  your  hope,"  he  replied ;  "  but  it 
may  not  be  impossible." 

"  Enough  !  Alfred — enough ! — not  another  word  on 
the  subject !  I  will  go  with  you." 

On  reaching  St.  Louis,  I  immediately  addressed  a 
long  letter  to  my  father,  giving  a  brief  account  of  my 
adventures,  and  stating  why  I  had  resolved  upon  a 
journey  to  New  Orleans,  and  about  what  time  I 
thought  it  likely  I  should  be  in  Philadelphia.  Then 
making  some  purchases — and,  among  the  rest,  a  wig, 
resembling  as  much  as  possible  my  natural  hair, 
which  had  not  as  yet  grown  to  a  proper  length — we 
took  the  first  steamer  for  New  Orleans,  where  in  due 
time  we  arrived  in  safety. 


488  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 


CHAPTER  XXXYI. 

A    WONDERFUL    DISCOVERY. 

ON  my  way  to  the  Crescent  City,  I  had  sometimes 
almost  ventured  to  hope  that  inquiries  at  all  the 
boarding  establishments  and  hotels,  with  a  glance  in 
the  directory,  would  give  me  the  name  of  El  Doli- 
ente — though  I  had  no  more  reason  for  supposing 
him  there,  save  the  inference  drawn  by  the  servant 
of  Governor  Armijo,  than  for  supposing  him  in  Mexi 
co,  Havana,  or  Madrid.  But  grant  I  should  find 
him — what  then  ?  Why,  then,  perhaps,  I  should 
discover  Adele  to  be  his  wife — or  him  to  be  a  vil 
lain — and  how  much  would  either  add  to  my  happi 
ness  ?  But  it  would  be  something  to  have  certainty 
in  place  of  conjecture ;  and  if  I  found  him  to  be  a  vil 
lain,  it  might  prove  some  satisfaction  to  inflict  a 
merited  punishment. 

On  the  morning  following  our  arrival,  Varney,  who 
had  risen  and  gone  out  very  early  alone,  suddenly 
burst  into  my  room  at  the  hotel,  under  great  excite 
ment,  and  immediately  sunk  down  upon  a  seat  with 
out  uttering  a  word. 

"Good  heavens!"  cried  I — "what  is  the  matter, 
Alfred?  are  you  ill?" 

"In  a  moment!"  he  said;  "in  a  moment,  Eoland! 


A    WONDERFUL    DISCOVERY.  489 

I  am  much  excited.     Mary  is  here,  in  the  city,  with 
her  father." 

* c  Have  you  seen  her  ?" 

"  No." 

"  Have  you  seen  her  father?" 

"No." 

"  How  do  you  know  they  are  here  ?" 

"I  knew  he  owned  a  mansion  here — at  which  he 
sometimes  spent  the  winter,  or  a  portion  of  it — and  I 
have  just  been  to  see  it.  I  found  it  occupied,  and  a 
servant  at  work  on  the  pavement.  I  inquired  who 
lived  there,  and  was  answered  General  Edwards.  I 
trembled  and  grew  faint.  The  most  important  ques 
tion  was  now  to  come,  and  the  answer  would  be  life 
or  death. 

"  *  Is  his  daughter  Mary  with  him  ?' 

"The  answer  was  in  the  affirmative.  I  breathed 
again — but  almost  gaspingly. 

"  c  Is  she  married  or  single  ?' 

"  The  negro  stared  at  me,  and  hesitated — evidently 
wondering  what  could  be  the  meaning  of  such  a 
question  from  a  stranger,  who  looked  more  mad  than 
sane. 

"  '  I  am  an  old  friend,  and  have  been  a  long  time 
away,'  I  hastened  to  add,  at  the  same  time  slipping  a 
dollar  into  his  hand.  *  Quick !  boy — speak !  is  she 
married  or  single  ?' 

"  '  Single,  mas'er — t'ank  you,  sah  !'  smiled  the  negro, 
putting  the  coin  into  his  pocket. 

"I   turned   short  about,  Eoland,  without  another 


490  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

word,  and  I  believe  I  ran  down  the  street,  but  T  am 
not  sure.  At  all  events,  I  am  here  now,  and  hardly 
know  whether  to  believe  my  senses  or  not.  I  have 
not  been  dreaming,  have  I,  Koland  ?" 

"You  appear  to  be  very  wide  awake  now,  at  all 
events,"  I  answered,  grasping  his  hand;  "and  I  will 
venture  to  congratulate  you  on  your  future  happiness. 
Would  to  Heaven  I  were  as  sure  of  Adele  as  you  are 
of  Mary  I" 

"  But  I  am  not  sure,  Eoland — I  have  not  seen  her — 
and  I  fairly  tremble  at  the  thought  of  meeting  her, 
and  learning  my  fate." 

"  If  she  is  alive,  and  unwedded,  you  have  nothing 
to  fear,  Alfred." 

'Do  you  think  so  ?"  cried  Varney,  starting  up  like 
a  wild  man  and  grasping  my  hand  again.  "Do  you 
really  think  I  have  nothing  to  fear  ?" 

"  I  certainly  do.  But  pray  calm  yourself  1  you  are 
more  excited  than  I  ever  saw  you  before." 

"Because  I  am  nearer  joy  or  despair  than  I  have 
ever  been  since  you  have  known  me.  Believe  me, 
Koland,  it  were  easier  for  me  to  bear  the  pangs  of 
death  than  disappointment  in  this." 

"  But  why  have  you  any  doubts  ?" 

"  Perhaps  she  does  not  reciprocate  my  love !" 

"  But  you  have  always  thought  differently !" 

"  I  was  far  away  then,  and  saw  hope  dimly  in  the 
distance;  but  now,  as  I  draw  near  the  shining  light,  I 
see  a  thousand  intervening  obstacles." 

"  What  are  they?" 


A  WONDERFUL  DISCOVERY.     491 

"  What  I  took  for  affection,  may  only  have  been 
gratitude ;  and  then  she  is  an  heiress,  while  I  am  only 
a  poor  adventurer." 

"But  love  levels  all  distinctions,  Alfred." 

"  Ay,  love,  without  pride,  between  the  immediate 
parties,  I  grant  you.  But  does  she  love?  that  is  the 
point.  And  then  her  father — would  he  consent  to  let 
her  throw  herself  away  upon  one  little  better  than  a 
beggar?" 

"  If  he  object  to  you,  Alfred,  though  without  a 
dollar — after  the  peculiar  treatment  you  received  while 
under  his  roof — his  gratitude  for  saving  her  life  was 
false — a  base  counterfeit !"  said  I,  warmly. 

"  But  though  single,  she  may  love  another,  Koland  I 
Heavens  I  what  a  thought  I" 

"Well,  try  and  be  calm;  and  go,  like  a  man,  and 
learn  your  fate.  Though  rich  as  Croesus,  beautiful  as 
Hebe,  chaste  as  Diana,  and  pure  as  an  angel,  you  are 
worthy  of  her,  Alfred." 

"  Ay,  Eoland — were  you  the  arbiter  of  my  fate,  I 
should  fear  nothing — but,  unfortunately,  others  do 
not  hold  me  in  such  high  esteem.  I  thank  you  for 
the  compliment — for  I  know  it  comes  from  your  noble 
heart." 

"  Well,  go  and  see  her — your  mind  will  be  harassed 
and  tormented  by  doubts,  fears,  and  hopes,  till  you 
do." 

"twill!"  said  Yarney,  nervously;  "I  will  go  and 

dress  at  once ;  and  then .  But  I  must  not  think ! 

Will  you  accompany  me,  Eoland  ?" 


492  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

"  No,  you  had  better  go  alone  ;  and  I  will  occupy 
myself,  meantime,  in  prosecuting  my  inquiries  con 
cerning  El  Doliente — though  I,  at  least,  have  no  hope 
of  reward." 

Soon  after  this  conversation  I  went  down,  ate  a 
light  breakfast,  and  sauntered  out  alone.  The  morn 
ing  was  bright  and  clear — the  air  soft  and  spring-like  ; 
and  as  I  took  my  way  through  the  busy  streets,  I 
pondered  the  delights  of  a  southern  climate  in  winter, 
after  a  quick  journey  from  the  ice-bound  regions  of 
the  north.  I  saw  green  leaves,  and  I  scented  flowers ; 
and  really  felt,  to  use  a  poetical  figure,  as  if  I  had 
leaped  from  the  rugged  shoulders  of  hoary  Winter, 
into  the  soft  lap  of  young,  smiling,  gentle  Summer. 

I  had  searched  the  directory  in  vain  for  the  name 
of  him  I  sought ;  and  I  now  began  to  visit  the  dif 
ferent  hotels,  where  I  thought  it  most  likely  El 
Doliente  might  take  up  his  abode  while  in  the  city. 
I  spent  the  day  in  eager  inquiries ;  and  returned  to 
my  own  quarters  at  night,  sad  and  dispirited,  having 
obtained  no  intelligence  of  him  whatever.  Yarney 
had  not  yet  returned ;  and  from  this  I  argued  he  had 
met  with  that  success  which  would  result  in  a  life-long 
happiness;  and  though  I  rejoiced,  for  his  sake,  in 
his  good  fortune,  I  could  not  but  envy  him,  and  feel 
bitterly  wretched  when  I  contrasted  his  bright  fate 
with  mine. 

After  taking  some  refreshment,  I  went  up  to  my 
room,  and  threw  myself  upon  the  bed,  to  await  his 
return;  but  finding  I  was  too  miserable  to  remain 


A    WONDERFUL    DISCOVERY.  493 

alone,  I  jumped  up,  hurried  down  stairs,  and  rushed 
out  into  the  street,  feeling  as  if  I  wanted  air.  Hasten 
ing  along  different  thoroughfares — taking  no  heed  of 
my  course,  and  without  any  definite  object  in  view — 
unless  it  might  be  to  escape  from  myself,  or  my  brain- 
racking  thoughts — I  at  length  found  myself  one  of  a 
fashionably  dressed  throng  of  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
who  were  crowding  into  a*  large,  stately -looking  edi 
fice,  to  hear,  as  I  learned  from  their  conversation, 
some  musical  celebrity.  Excitement,  amusement, 
anything  to  drive  away  thought,  was  what  I  wanted  ; 
and  so  I  entered  with  the  rest,  purchased  a  ticket,  and 
in  due  time  found  myself  seated  in  a  large,  brilliant 
hall,  where  strains  of  sweet  music  soon  floated  to  my 
spirit,  and  bore  it  away  into  an  ideal  realm  of  gor- 
geousness  and  beauty. 

During  the  whole  entertainment,  I  seemed  to  be  in 
a  kind  of  trance ;  but  as  I  felt  comparatively  happy — 
and  at  times  absolutely  so — deceiving  myself  with 
fanciful  illusions — I  made  no  effort  to  arouse  myself 
and  return  to  a  cold,  bitter  reality.  In  recalling  the 
event  at  this  time,  I  do  not  think  I  was  wholly  compos 
mentis  ;  for  after  the  grand  overture  by  the  orchestra, 
I  remember  nothing  but  bright  lights  and  unearthly 
music,  and  airy,  floating,  fairy  forms,  and  brilliant, 
gorgeous,  heavenly  scenes — which  fancy  brought  be 
fore  the  mental  vision — till  I  found  myself  wedged 
among  the  press  on  my  way  to  the  street ;  after  which 
event  all  is  again  distinct  and  clear.  I  remember,  on 
reaching  the  flags  of  the  colonnade,  of  drawing  aside 


494  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

from  the  living  stream  of  human  beings,  and  taking  a 
position  where,  without  being  too  much  jostled,  I 
could  have  a  clear  view  of  Creole  beauty  and  fashion, 
as  the  human  tide  poured  downward  and  outward.  I 
was  thus  standing — admiringly  viewing  the  many 
beautiful  features  and  forms  that  floated  down  the 
long  flight  of  steps,  in  the  bright  light,  to  disappear 
in  the  surrounding  shade — when  suddenly  my  eyes 
rested  on  a  pale,  sweet,  lovely  face;  and  for  a  few 
moments  every  nerve  seemed  paralyzed,  and  my  heart 
rose  to  my  throat. 

Could  it  be  ?  could  it  be  ?  Great  Heaven !  could 
it  be  ?  No !  it  must  be  fancy — another  illusion  ?  I 
closed  my  eyes  for  an  instant — only  for  an  instant — 
for  I  feared  to  lose  sight  of  that  sweet  face.  I  opened 
them  quickly,  and  again  riveted  them  upon  that 
descending  figure,  and  upon  him  who  held  her  arm, 
and  supported  her  down  the  long  flight,  and  fondly 
guided  her  steps,  and  strove  to  keep  back  the  press. 
No !  it  was  no  illusion — it  was  no  portrayal  of  fancy — 
it  was  reality ;  and,  Great  God !  such  a  reality !  It 
was  my  deeply-loved,  long-lost  Adele  Loyola — cling 
ing  to,  and  sustained  by,  the  strong  arm  of  Juan  El 
Doliente. 

It  was  a  terrible  ordeal,  to  stand  paralyzed,  and  see 
them  pass  me,  without  even  the  power  of  speech — and 
my  brain  reeled,  and  my  sight  grew  dim.  At  length, 
with  a  convulsive  gasp,  I  regained  the  power  of  mo 
tion,  and  sprung  after  them,  regardless  of  everything 
and  everybody  around.  Like  a  madman — as  perhaps 


A    WONDERFUL    DISCOVERY.  495 

for  the  time  I  was — I  plunged  into  the  crowd,  and 
pushed  forward  to  the  street,  with  more  than  one  ana 
thema  following  me  from  those  I  jostled  roughly  or 
put  rudely  aside.  I  was  just  in  time  to  see  the  two  I 
sought  enter  a  splendid  carriage,  which  was  decorated 
with  a  coat  of  arms,  and  had  a  black  driver  and  foot 
man  in  rich  livery.  In  my  haste  to  reach  the  door 
before  it  closed,  I  stumbled  and  fell ;  and  by  the  time 
I  had  regained  my  feet,  the  footman  was  mounted, 
and  the  carriage  was  in  motion.  Fearful  of  losing 
sight  of  it,  I  ran  into  the  street,  and  shouted  for  a 
hack. 

"  Here,  mas'er,  at  you  sarbis,"  cried  a  black,  from 
the  opposite  side  of  the  way. 

"  Do  you  see  that  carriage  yonder,  with  its  footman 
in  livery,  just  turning  the  corner  ?"  said  I,  springing 
to  the  negro,  who  was  hastily  opening  the  door  of  his 
vehicle. 

"  Yes,  sah — see  dat  cl'ar." 

"  Quick,  then !  mount  your  box,  and  put  me  down 
near  where  that  stops,  and  it  shall  prove  the  best  job 
you  have  done  for  a  month!  Quick,  now!  or  you 
will  lose  sight  of  it !" 

"ISTebber  fear  dis  chile,  mas'er,"  rejoined  the  negro, 
as  he  grasped  the  lines  and  cracked  his  whip. 

So  far  I  had  been  governed  wholly  by  impulse, 
and  had  considered  nothing  but  the  fact  that  I  must 
not  lose  sight  of  Adele  and  the  Spaniard  till  I  had 
traced  them  to  their  present  quarters ;  but  now  I  had 
a  few  minutes  for  reflection,  and  reflection  came  in  a 


496  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

way  to  cause  me  mental  torture.  I  leaned  back  in  the 
carriage,  and  thought,  till  my  brain  ached,  my  vision 
swam,  and  blue  lights  danced  before  my  eyes.  What 
was  I  to  do,  on  reaching  El  Doliente's  residence? 
what  would  be  the  proper  course  for  me  to  pursue  ? 
Undoubtedly  it  would  be  best  to  first  ascertain  if 
Adele  were  his  wife;  and  if  so,  to  retire  and  not 
make  myself  known ;  and  return  to  my  misery,  and 
leave  them  to  their  happiness,  if  happiness  they  could 
find.  But  if  she  were  not  his  wife  ?  If  not  ? — Good 
heavens  !  how  my  blood  boiled  to  think ! — then  must 
she  be  the  victim  of  a  treacherous  villain  ;  for  only  by 
lying  and  treachery  could  he  have  turned  so  pure  a 
heart  from  the  path  of  virtue.  Ha!  another  idea. 
Perhaps  he  knew  her  history?  "Well,  what  then? 
this  could  not  sanction  crime.  But  might  he  not  be 
a  relative  ?  Improbable,  in  the  extreme — for  had  he 
discovered  any  relationship,  what  more  natural,  or 
likely,  than  that  he  would  have  proclaimed  it  at  Bent's 
Fort  ?  There  was  something  very  strange  and  mys 
terious  in  his  taking  such  an  interest  in  the  girl  before 
he  saw  her  ;  and  I  remembered  asking  him  if  he  were 
in  love  with  her  from  my  description,  and  his  reply, 
that  he  should  never  be  my  rival  for  her  hand.  What 
could  it  all  mean  ?  But  I  should  soon  know,  perhaps; 
and  should  I  discover  he  had  wronged  and  ruined 
her,  then,  as  the  law  could  not  reach  him,  I  deter 
mined  I  would  be  her  avenger.  It  would  be  a  fearful 
thing  to  become  judge  and  executioner,  I  knew;  but 
in  the  state  of  mind  I  then  was,  I  felt  it  would  be 


A  WONDERFUL  DISCOVERY.      497 

necessary,  if  he  were  guilty,  for  one  of  us  to  quit  the 
human  stage  of  life.  Adele,  in  any  event,  I  considered 
lost  to  me  for  ever. 

Such  was  a  portion  of  the  thoughts  and  reflections 
that  produced  the  effect  I  have  described ;  and  my 
mind  was  still  in  a  wild  whirl,  when  the  carriage 
suddenly  stopped,  and  the  driver  hastily  opened  the 
door. 

"  Dar,  mas'er,"  said  the  negro,  "you  can  see  de 
carriage  I's  followed,  right  over  dar." 

I  sprung  out,  and  found  myself  standing  in  abroad, 
clean,  elegant  street,  with  splendid  private  mansions 
on  either  hand.  About  twenty  rods  distant,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  way,  was  the  carriage  of  El 
Doliente  ;  and  while  I  looked,  I  saw  him  and  Adele 
ascend  the  marble  steps,  and  the  vehicle  drive  away. 

"  You  have  done  well,"  said  I,  handing  the  negro 
a  gold  eagle  ;  "  and  this  will  prove  to  you  that  I  made 
no  empty  promise." 

"  De  Lor'  bress  you,  mas'er,  for  a  true  gent'lem !" 
cried  the  black,  opening  his  eyes  with  delight. 

"  Mount,  and  drive  straight  on,  as  if  nothing  had 
happened  1"  I  added. 

And  as  the  hack  rolled  away,  I  crossed  the  street 
and  walked  leisurely  along,  till  I  came  opposite  the 
residence  which  now  contained  the  beings  who  had 
already  been  so  closely  linked  with  my  destiny,  and 
whose  influence  for  good  or  evil  it  was  my  fate  to 
feel  evermore.  When  I  reached  the  steps,  they  had 
disappeared  within ;  and  I  looked  up  at  the  stately 
30 


498  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

edifice,  with  its  marble  colonnade  and  iron  balconies, 
and  knew  that  its  owner  must  be  a  man  of  wealth — 
perhaps  of  distinction,  fashion,  and  power — and  I 
reflected,  that  if  I  would  meet  him  as  an  equal,  man 
to  man,  there  might  never  be  a  more  opportune  time 
than  the  present.  I  felt  for  my  pistols — which,  from 
my  late  habit  of  always  going  armed,  I  had  not  yet 
laid  aside — and  finding  them  in  their  proper  places, 
I  ascended  the  steps — determined,  for  the  rest,  to  be 
guided  by  such  circumstances  as  fate  might  throw 
around  me. 


CHAPTER  XXXYH. 

THE    MYSTERY    SOLVED. 

I  LOOKED  at  the  silver  plate  on  the  door,  and,  by 
the  light  of  the  street  lamp,  read  the  single  name  of 
"  ALVAREZ." 

I  started,  and  trembled  with  excitement.  What  if, 
after  all,  the  negro  had  mistaken  the  carriage?  I 
hastily  rung  the  bell. 

"  Does  a  gentleman  reside  here,  named  Juan  El  Do- 
liente?"  I  inquired  of  the  liveried  servant  who  an 
swered  my  summons. 

"No,  sah — don't  know  no  such  gent'lem!"  was  the 
courteous,  but  somewhat  consequential  reply ;  and  the 
sleek  negro  held  the  door  in  a  way  to  denote  he  was 


THE     MYSTERY    SOLVED.  499 

prepared  to  shut  it  the  moment  I  might  think  proper 
to  retire. 

It  may  be  he  has  changed  his  name,  or  resumed  his 
right  one,  I  mused,  not  a  little  perplexed  and  agitated. 

"  Will  you  be  good  enough  to  answer  me  a  few 
questions?"  said  I,  slipping  a  silver  coin  into  the 
hand  of  the  black. 

"  Sartin,  sah — wid  pleasure,"  he  quickly  replied,  in 
a  changed  tone,  letting  the  door  swing  back,  and  thus 
disclosing  to  my  view  a  long,  high,  lighted  hall, 
richly  furnished. 

"  I  am  seeking  a  gentleman  who  once  did  me  an 
essential  service,"  I  resumed  ;  "  but  as  he  was  rather 
an  eccentric  personage,  he  may  have  changed  his 
name.  It  is  possible  your  master  may  know  some 
thing  of  him — if,  as  I  infer  from  the  name,  he  is  a 
Spanish  gentleman,  and  countryman  of  this  El  Do- 
lientel" 

"  Shall  I  'quire  ob  mas'er?"  queried  the  black. 

"A  question  or  two  first.  How  long  have  you 
served  your  present  master  ?" 

"  'Bout  a  year,  I  Aspect." 

"  Is  he  a  married  man  ?" 

"No,  sah." 

The  answer  produced  in  me  a  very  singular  sensa 
tion — a  sensation  I  cannot  define.  I  commanded  my 
feelings,  as  well  as  I  could,  and  continued : 

"  How  long  has  he  resided  in  this  city  ?" 

"He's  been  here  seberal  time,  sah — but  he  only 
bought  dis  place  jus'  afore  I  come  to  lib  wid  him." 


500  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Has  be  traveled  much  ?" 

"Great  deal,  sah,  I  'spect." 

"  Has  he  ever  been  in  Mexico  ?" 

"  Yes,  sah — he  come  from  dat  dar  way  last." 

"Do  you  know  whether  he  was  ever  out  on  the 
prairies  among  the  Indians  ?" 

"  Yes,  sah — dat's  whar  he's  been  too,  sah — he's  been 
most  ebery  whar,  sah  I" 

"  Enough !"  said  I,  finding  that  my  feelings  were 
getting  the  mastery  of  my  will.  "Will  you  now  be 
so  obliging  as  to  inform  him,  that  a  gentleman  desires 
a  few  minutes'  conversation  with  him  in  private  ?" 

"  Yes,  sah— I'll  tell  him.  What  name  shall  I's  say, 
sah?" 

I  hesitated  a  moment,  and  replied : 

"  No  matter  about  the  name ;  but  merely  say  a  gen 
tleman  who  once  knew  him  in  another  part  of  the 
world." 

"  Yes,  sah — please  step  into  de  drawing-room  and 
I'll  tell  him,  sah  I" 

"  Thank  you ;  but  I  would  prefer  to  wait  here  till 
you  bring  me  an  answer." 

"  Yes,  sah — jus'  as  you  please." 

With  strange  feelings,  and  not  a  little  external  agi 
tation,  I  now  stepped  into  the  mansion,  and  stood,  as 
I  believed,  under  the  same  roof  with  Adele  Loyola. 
The  negro  closed  the  outer  door,  and  hastened  away; 
and  there  were  a  few  minutes  of  suspense,  during 
which  I  mentally  suffered  as  I  hope  never  to  suffer 
again.  At  length  I  saw  him  hastily  descending  a 


THE     MYSTERY    SOLVED.  501 

long,  spiral  stairway,  at  the  far  end  of  the  hall;  and  a 
sudden  weakness  came  over  me,  and  I  leaned  against 
the  wall  for  support. 

"  Dis  way,  sah !"  he  said,  apparently  not  perceiving 
my  agitation. 

I  summoned  all  my  vital  forces  to  my  aid,  and 
quietly  followed  him.  On  reaching  the  second-story, 
he  threw  open  a  door  to  the  right,  and  ushered  me 
into  a  large,  elegant  library,  with  the  single  remark : 

"  Mas'er  will  soon  be  wid  you,  sah  1" 

I  sent  a  quick,  searching  glance  around,  by  a  rather 
dim  light,  which  came  from  a  large  chandelier.  Three 
sides  of  the  apartment  were  occupied  with  book-cases, 
well  filled;  and  the  fourth  was  adorned  by  several 
large,  beautiful  paintings.  There  was  a  writing  desk, 
open,  with  papers  lying  loose  upon  it ;  and  there  were 
three  or  four  large,  elegantly  stuffed  arm-chairs ;  in 
one  of  which  I  hastened  to  seat  myself,  as  far  from  the 
light  as  possible,  and  facing  the  door  by  which  the 
host  must  enter. 

He  came,  even  sooner  than  I  wished  ;  and  I  saw,  at 
a  glance,  he  was  no  other  than  Juan  El  Doliente.  For 
a  moment  I  felt  as  if  I  should  faint ;  but  I  thought  of 
the  wrongs  of  Adele,  and  instantly  my  nerves  became 
as  iron.  I  was  resolved,  and  felt  sufficiently  desperate 
to  make  my  resolution  effective. 

He  approached  me,  with  a  look  of  curiosity,  and  I 
arose  to  meet  him. 

"  I  have  the  honor,  I  believe,  of  addressing  Juan 
El  Doliente  ?"  I  said,  in  a  cold,  firm  tone. 


502  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

He  slightly  started,  and  looked  surprised. 

"  I  have  been  so  called,"  he  answered.  "  May  I,  in 
return,  sir,  have  the  honor  of  knowing  the  name  of 
him  who  addresses  me  ?" 

"You  do  not  know  me  then  ?" 

The  light  was  not  bright  where  I  stood,  and  I  pur 
posely  kept  my  features  as  much  in  the  shade  as  pos 
sible. 

"  Your  face  seems  to  have  a  familiar  look,"  he 
answered,  eyeing  me  closely;  "but  I  do  not  know 
where  to  place  you,  or  by  what  name  to  address  you. 
I  am  almost  certain,  however,  we  have  met  before." 

"I  am  quite  certain,"  I  rejoined,  "that  you  have 
seen  me  in  reality,  and  perhaps  in  your  dreams." 

"  This  is  somewhat  strange  language,"  he  observed, 
a  little  haughtily.  "If  you  do  not  choose  to  give  me 
your  name,  will  you  be  kind  enough  to  state  your 
business  ?" 

"I  will  do  both,  sir,"  returned  I,  with  heat.  "As 
for  my  name,  I  am  at  present  to  be  known  as  The 
Avenger ;  as  to  my  business,  I  am  here  to  make  my 
name  good." 

"  You  talk  enigmatically,"  he  rejoined,  the  blood 
mounting  to  his  temples. 

"Then  allow  me  to  say  you  are  a  villian,  sir!"  I 
cried.  "  Do  you  understand  that  ?  or  will  you  have 
it  in  plainer  English  ?" 

Instantly  the  blood  retreated,  his  features  turned 
pale,  his  dark  eyes  flashed,  and  his  thin  lips  quivered. 

"  I  know  not  what  object  you  may  have  in  thus 


THE     MYSTERY    SOLVED.  503 

insulting  me  in  my  own  dwelling,"  he  quickly  replied ; 
"but  I  warn  you,  young  man,  not  to  trust  too  much  to 
my  forbearance — for  I  am  human,  and  not  always 
master  of  my  passions !  I  will  bid  you  good  evening, 
and  one  of  my  servants  will  show  you  the  way  to  the 
street." 

He  turned,  as  if  to  leave  the  apartment;  but  I 
sprung  before  him  to  the  door ;  and  ere  he  divined 
my  purpose,  I  had  closed  and  set  my  back  against  it. 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  are  you  mad  ?"  he  demanded, 
looking  perplexed  and  astonished,  and  evidently  feel 
ing  some  degree  of  alarm. 

"  Perhaps  I  am  mad  ["  I  rejoined ;  "  but  what  I 
want  is,  a  settlement  with  you  for  a  most  damnable 
act  ?  You  see  I  am  a  desperate  man !  and  am  pre 
pared  for  a  desperate  deed !"  I  continued,  producing 
my  pistols.  "  Now  mark  me,  Juan  El  Doliente !  we 
are  alone  together,  and  must  remain  so  till  this  affair 
is  settled.  Attempt  to  ring  a  bell,  or  otherwise  call 
for  help,  and  you  are  a  dead  man.  What  I  want  first 
is,  that  you  do  answer  me  truly,  as  you  hope  for  life, 
or  fear  death,  two  questions." 

"  Speak  !"  he  said,  growing  much  excited. 

"  First,  then — are  you  a  married  man  ?" 

"  I  have  been." 

"  But  now  ?  I  mean  now  ?" 

"  I  am  not — my  sweet  wife  is  in  Heaven  !"  and  his 
voice  trembled. 

"Now,  then,"  continued  I,  "the  most  important 
question  of  the  two  :  Is  Adele  Loyola  your  victim  ?" 


504  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Adele  Loyola  my  victim?"  he  repeated,  taking  a 
step  or  two  backward,  his  features  expressive  of  the 
most  unbounded  amazement.  "  Good  God  1  what  do 
you  mean  ?  who  are  you  ?" 

"No  stage  attitudes  and  show  tricks  shall  cover 
your  black-hearted  villany!"  cried  I,  desperately 
grasping  my  weapons.  "Answer  me,  as  you  will  one 
day  answer  your  Maker  I  Is  Adele  Loyola  your 
victim  ?" 

"  Tell  me,  then,  what  you  mean  ?  and  how  I  am  to 
answer  ?"  he  rejoined,  in  much  agitation. 

"  I  mean,  then,  have  you  seduced  her  from  the  path 
of  virtue  ?  and  ruined  her  like  a  villain  ?  and  you  are 
to  answer  truly,  as  God  is  your  judge !" 

tl  Seduced  and  ruined  my  own  daughter  ?  Great  God 
forbid  1"  he  cried. 

"  How  ?  exclaimed  I,  hardly  able  to  credit  my 
senses,  and  feeling  my  brain  reel,  as  the  truth,  mighty 
and  overpowering,  flashed  upon  me.  "  Your  daughter, 
say  you  ?  Adele  Loyola  your  daughter  ?" 

"  I  see  how  it  is  1"  he  cried ;  "  you  knew  her  when 
she  was  a  friendless  wanderer — and  by  a  name  that 
was  not  her  own — and  hence  this  mistake." 

"  But  you  are  not  deceiving  me  ?" 

"  As  I  hope  for  salvation,  no !  Let  me  call  her  if 
you  doubt,  and  hear  her  confirm  my  words." 

The  pistols  fell  from  my  hands ;  and  reeling  to  a 
seat,  I  sunk  down  upon  it,  faint,  and  half  suffocated 
with  a  whirl  of  contending  emotions. 

"  I  am  a  fool — an  idiot — a  madman  !"  I  gasped,  as 


THE     MYSTERY    SOLVED.  505 

Alvarez  hastened  to  my  relief.  "I  have  wronged 
you,  sir — deeply,  bitterly  wronged  you — and  I  pray 
your  forgiveness  for  the  almost  fatal  mistake." 

"  You  have  my  forgiveness,  with  all  my  heart,"  he 
said,  in  a  kindly  and  sympathetic  tone. 

"  I  know  much  of  her  history,  and  something  of 
yours,"  I  continued — "  enough  of  both  to  credit  your 
assertion." 

"But,  in  Heaven's  name,  pray  tell  me  who  you 
are  ?"  he  cried,  much  excited, 

"'I  am  Eoland  Eivers." 

"  Great  God  !"  he  ejaculated — "  is  it  possible  ?  Let 
me  look  !  Here — turn  your  face  to  the  light  I  Yes — 
yes — it  is  Eoland  Eivers :  I  see  your  features  now,  as 
I  saw  them  on  the  prairie.  But  you  are  so  changed,  I 
might  not  have  known  you,  even  had  I  known  you  to 
be  living.  But  we  all  thought  you  dead;  and  Marina 
has  done  nothing  but  mourn  your  loss.  How  won 
derful  1  how  strange  !  how  wonderful  I  how  strange  !" 
and  repeating  these  words,  he  sunk  upon  a  seat,  and 
stared  at  me  as  one  stupefied  with  amazement.  "Oh, 
my  dear  friend !"  he  cried,  suddenly  springing  up  and 
embracing  me — "  this  will  be  a  night  of  joy  to  my 
poor  Marina  I" 

" To  whom?"  inquired  I,  not  comprehending  him. 

"  To  my  dear,  long  lost  daughter  Marina — to  her 
you  knew  as  Adele." 

"  Then  Adele  was  not  her  name?" 

"No  more  than  that  villain  Loyola  was  her  father. 


506  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

Henceforth,  Roland,  you  must  know  her  as  Marina 
Alexa  Helena  de  Alvarez,  Countess  of  Zamora." 

"  A  Countess  !"  exclaimed  I ;  "  poor  Adele  a  Coun 
tess  !  I  am  all  amazement  !" 

"  As  well  you  may  be,  my  friend.  God's  Providence 
has  worked  wonders  in  all  our  lives;  and  I  know  not 
who  is  most  amazed,  you  or  I.  Do  you  know,  I  am 
almost  afraid  to  leave  the  apartment,  lest  on  my  re 
turn  I  shall  find  you  vanished  into  thin  air,  and 
myself  the  sport  of  a  delusion." 

"It  gives  me  joy  unspeakable  to  know  I  am  so 
esteemed  by  one  whom  but  now  I  called  a  villain," 
said  I ;  "  but  I  assure  you,  you  need  not  fear  of  find 
ing  me  a  substantial  reality  for  the  present — though 
perhaps  not  altogether  a  rational  being." 

For  a  few  minutes  we  remained  together,  absorbed 
in  wonder — neither  saying  much — but  that  little,  in 
a  very  slight  degree,  expressive  of  our  inexpressible 
thoughts  and  emotions. 

"I  am  eager  to  hear  you  relate  your  remarkable 
adventures,"  at  length  said  Alvarez,  "  and  to  learn 
how  you  traced  me  hither !" 

"  And  I  to  learn  something  of  your  remarkable 
history,"  I  rejoined  ;  "  but  first  let  me  look  upon  the 
sweet  face  of  Adele  ;  and  then  we  will  exchange 
stories;  and  acknowledge,  with  humble,  soul-felt 
thankfulness,  there  is  a  Power  that  guards  and  guides 
which  is  incomprehensible  to  finite  beings." 

Alvarez  crossed  himself,  bowed  his  head  in  silent 
prayer,  and  rejoined: 


THE     MYSTERY    SOLVED.  507 

"  Call  her  not  Adele,  my  friend — for  the  name  was 
bestowed  by  a  villain,  and  revives  painful  recollec 
tions." 

"  But  she  will  always  be  Adele  to  me;"  I  said — 
"  for  by  that  name  she  won  my  heart.  However,  I 
will  compromise.  I  will  think  of  her  as  Adele,  and 
call  her  Marina.  But  pray  let  me  behold  her  once 
more !" 

"  Stay  you  here,  and  I  will  go  and  prepare  her  to 
receive  you." 

"  Nay,  do  not  that— but  introduce  me  as  a  traveller 
— a  whilom  companion  of  yours.  I  would  test  her 
power  of  recognition  :  it  may  be  no  better  than  your 
own." 

"  Trust  love  for  that,"  he  rejoined,  with  a  smile. 
"I  only  fear  the  shock  of  discovery  may  produce 
unpleasant  consequences." 

"  Have  I  then  really  such  a  hold  upon  her  heart  ?" 

"  Marina,  like  her  sainted  mother,"  he  replied,  in  a 
tremulous  voice,  "  is  a  being  to  love  but  once,  for  love 
is  her  life.  How  she  loves  you,  Eoland  Kivers,  you 
will  soon  ascertain.  And  my  friend,  (grasping  my 
hand,)  you  deserve  her  love — you  are  worthy  of 
her — and  you  are  the  only  being  on  the  face  of  this 
earth  to  whom  I  would  speak  these  words.  Nay,  no 
self-disparagement !  I  know  with  what  self-sacrifice — 
with  what  nobility  of  soul — you  saved  her;  and  how 
you  watched  over  her,  with  the  care  of  a  father,  or 
brother,  in  your  long,  perilous  flight  from  captivity ; 
I  know  all ;  and  now  I  am  ready  to  shed  tears  of  joy, 


608  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

that  you  are  about  to  reap  your  reward ;  and  that  the 
two  and  only  beings  I  truly  love  on  earth,  are  about 
to  be  made  happy,  I  trust  for  ever.  But  I  will  bring 
Marina  hither,  and  let  love  take  its  course,  if  you  will 
promise  to  be  guarded  and  prudent  in  making  your 
self  known." 

"  Trust  me,  I  will." 

"  The  light  shall  remain  dim  till  you  have  tested 
the  eyes  of  love,"  he  said,  with  a  smile,  and  left  the 
apartment. 

I  leaned  back,  and  fancied  I  could  hear  the  beatings 
of  my  heart  till  the  door  again  opened,  and  then  it 
seemed  as  if  every  organ  of  my  system  had  suddenly 
ceased  motion. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

THE    FINALE. 

DONA  MARINA,  Countess  of  Zamora,  entered  the 
apartment  with  ease  and  grace,  hanging  lightly  on  the 
arm  of  her  noble  father.  I  arose,  as  a  stranger,  to 
salute  her;  but  trembled  so,  that  I  dared  not  take  a 
single  step  forward;  and  really  feared  I  should  be 
compelled  to  resume  my  seat  in  a  manner  which 
would  appear  extremely  awkward,  if  not  rude.  She 
was  richly,  but  plainly,  attired  in  the  prevailing 
fashion;  and  her  dark  features — naturally  pale,  and 


THE     FINALE.  509 

tinged  with  melancholy,  but  now  slightly  tinted  with 
a  rosy  hue— -were  so  sweet,  so  lovely,  that  I  was  on 
the  point  of  forgetting  myself,  springing  forward,  and 
disclosing  all,  by  uttering  the  loved  name  of  Adele. 
The  Count  read  my  feelings,  and,  fearful  of  conse 
quences,  hastened  forward  and  said : 

"Senor  Kios,  allow  me  to  present  to  you  my 
daughter  Marina,  of  whom  you  have  heard  me 
speak." 

I  bowed,  without  trusting  my  voice ;  and  Marina, 
making  a  graceful  salutation,  took  a  seat  near.  The 
Count  quietly  drew  up  another  chair,  and  we  both 
sat  down — he,  to  relieve  us  of  any  embarrassment, 
immediately  observing : 

"  I  have  informed  my  daughter,  Senor  Eios,  that 
we  once  met,  far  away,  and  were  fellow  travellers  for 
several  days." 

"  That  meeting  and  that  journey  I  shall  never  for 
get,"  I  replied,  quietly. 

At  the  first  sound  of  my  voice,  Marina  started — all 
color  instantly  forsook  her  face — and  she  turned  her 
soft,  dark  eyes,  now  sparkling  with  a  wild  light, 
searchingly  upon  me. 

"I  understand,"  I  pursued,  addressing  her  with  as 
much  calmness  as  it  was  possible  for  me  to  command 
on  so  exciting  an  occasion — "  I  understand  that  your 
ladyship  has  passed  through  some  eventful  scenes  ?" 

She  looked  wildly  at  me,  and  then  at  the  Count, 
and  exclaimed : 

"  My  dear  father,  who  is  it  that  speaks?" 


510  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"  Whom  do  you  think,  my  child?" 

"  If  the  grave  can  give  back  the  dead  to  the  living, 
it  is  Eoland  Kivers." 

"The  grave  cannot,  sweet  daughter,"  he  replied, 
anxiously ;  "  but  the  grave  does  not  always  hold  the 
lost." 

"Great  Heaven!  it  is  then  Eoland  Kivers!"  she 
cried,  springing  to  her  feet,  and  looking  still  more 
wildly  at  me.  "  Senor  Bios !  Senor  Eios !  Yes  !  yes ! 
it  is !" 

"  It  is,  Adele,"  said  I,  using  her  former  name,  and 
making  an  attempt  to  rise. 

She  uttered  one  wild  shriek,  fell  upon  my  neck,  and 
fainted  in  my  arms. 

"  I  fear  we  have  killed  her !"  cried  her  now  half- 
distracted  father,  hastening  to  ring  for  her  attendants. 

A  scene  of  confusion  ensued  that  I  need  not  de 
scribe.  It  was  more  than  an  hour  before  all  again 
became  quiet;  and  then  Marina  was  sitting  by  my 
side,  her  hands  clasped  with  joy,  and  her  dark  eyes, 
beaming  love,  fixed  fondly  and  intently  upon  mine, 
as  if  she  feared,  as  her  father  had  before  expressed, 
that  I  might  vanish  into  thin  air.  As  for  myself,  I 
have  no  language  to  portray  the  emotions  which 
stirred  me  to  the  very  depths  of  my  innermost  soul. 
I  can  only  say,  that  I  seemed  to  myself  like  a  part 
and  portion  of  an  enchantment  that  was  painful  with 
rapture. 

Oh !  the  golden  hours  of  that  night  of  joy — how 
swiftly  they  flew !  I  told  the  story  of  my  captivity, 


THE     FINALE.  511 

my  return,  my  suspicions,  and  my  madness,  even  up 
to  the  moment  of  my  present  happiness;  and  Marina 
listened,  and  wept — wept  tears  of  such  joy  as  comes 
up  from  the  inner  soul  but  once  in  a  human  life. 

"  Dear  Roland,"  she  at  last  exclaimed,  with  tearful 
eyes,  "what  guarded,  guided,  and  brought  us  together 
so  mysteriously  ?  Will  you  say  now  you  do  not  be 
lieve  in  ministering  spirits?" 

11  With  you  by  my  side,  dear  Marina,  I  am  ready 
to  believe  in  everything  pure  and  holy,"  I  replied. 

Having  ordered  refreshments,  my  noble  host  now 
began  and  told  his  tale — which,  though  strange,  thril 
ling,  and  romantic,  I  shall  take  the  liberty  to  abridge, 
and  give  in  the  fewest  words  possible.  He  was  a 
nobleman  by  birth,  a  native  of  Spain,  and  his  rightful 
name  was  Don  Juan  Alvaro  de  Alvarez,  Count  of  Za- 
mora.  He  had  a  princely  residence  and  retinue  in  his 
native  country,  was  in  high  favor  at  Court,  and  mar 
ried  the  lady  of  his  choice,  by  whom  he  had  one  child, 
a  daughter,  the  lovely  being  who  has  figured  in  my 
narrative  as  Adele.  All  went  on  prosperously  and 
happily  till  the  loss  of  his  child,  who  was  stolen  at  a 
tender  age  by  a  villain  named  Komanez,  and  the  same 
who  has  slightly  figured  in  my  narrative  as  Graspard 
Loyola.  This  Romanez  was  an  officer  in  the  house 
hold  of  the  Count,  who  was  discharged  for  a  flagrant 
act,  and  took  this  mode  of  revenge.  And  a  terrible 
revenge  it  proved;  for  the  wife  of  the  Count  died 
subsequently,  of  a  disease  engendered  by  grief  at  the 
loss  of  her  daughter ;  and  the  Count  himself,  half 


512  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

distracted  at  the  loss  of  both,  sold  his  effects — and,  to 
find  some  relief  to  an  aching  heart,  became  a  traveller- 
and  a  wanderer,  assuming  the  expressive  title  of  Juan 
El  Doliente,  or  Juan  The  Sufferer.  He  had  visited 
this  country  more  than  once  in  his  wandering  life ; 
and  had,  at  different  times,  for  a  brief  period,  made 
his  home  in  New  Orleans.  But  the  canker  at  his 
heart  would  never  let  him  rest ;  and  so  he  had  con 
tinued  to  wander,  wherever  he  thought  he  could  meet 
with  excitement  or  novelty,  till  chance  or  Providence 
threw  him  in  my  way,  and  he  heard  my  story  of 
Adele,  whom  he  was  fain  to  think  might  possibly 
prove  to  be  his  long  lost  daughter.  This  idea  was  the 
cause  of  that  intense  excitement  which  he  exhibited 
on  hearing  my  narrative,  and  which  then  proved  so 
incomprehensible  to  me,  who  of  course  knew  nothing 
of  the  real  facts.  My  description  of  Loyola  was  a 
correct  description,  he  thought,  of  Eomanez;  and 
being  eager  to  see  the  girl,  and  learn  the  truth,  he 
volunteered  to  fit  out  an  expedition  to  go  in  quest  of 
her ;  but  fearing  he  might  be  disappointed,  he  hardly 
trusted  himself  to  hope,  and  kept  his  secret  to  himself. 
Why  Romanez,  or  Loyola,  placed  Marina  in  a 
convent  in  Mexico,  was  still  something  of  a  mystery ; 
but  it  was  conjectured  that,  she  being  very  young  at 
the  time,  and  probably  a  burden  to  him,  he  had 
thought  this  a  feasible  plan  to  have  her  taken  care  of 
till  she  should  arrive  at  an  age  to  be  of  some  assistance 
to  him.  And  it  was  further  surmised,  that  it  might 
have  been  his  intention,  at  a  period  subsequent  to  my 


THE     FINALE.  513 

meeting  with  her,  to  disclose  all,  and  force  her  to 
become  his  wife,  with  the  idea  of  eventually  turning 
this  to  his  account  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view.  Be 
this  as  it  may,  it  will  readily  be  seen  that  he  had  a 
motive  in  not  destroying  her  life,  and  in  allowing  her 
no  opportunity  to  disclose  what  little  she  did  know  of 
her  history.  On  placing  her  in  the  convent,  he  had 
given  her  the  name  of  Adele,  and  changed  his  own, 
asserting  that  he  was  her  father,  and  that  her  own 
mother  was  dead.  After  taking  her  away,  he  had 
always  kept  her  with  him,  and  made  her  useful  to  him 
in  the  business  he  had  adopted,  which  was  that  of  an 
itinerant  trader.  Of  his  harsh,  brutal  treatment  I 
need  not  speak,  as  the  reader  himself  had  a  specimen 
on  his  first  introduction,  in  propria  persona,  into  my 
story. 

On  meeting  with  his  daughter  on  the  mountains,  as 
mentioned  by  Botter,  Alvarez  saw  at  a  glance  a 
strong  resemblance  to  her  beloved  mother ;  but  still 
fearing  there  might  be  some  mistake,  he  smothered 
his  emotions,  and  kept  his  secret,  till  he  found  a  proper 
opportunity  to  reveal  it  to  her  at  St.  Train's  Fort. 
This  revelation  caused  that  marked  change  in  her 
demeanor  toward  him,  which  led  the  old  mountaineer 
to  suspect  a  different  cause  for  the  intimacy,  and  the 
scandal-mongers  to  start  the  villanous  report  which 
reached  me  through  him.  As  the  Count  and  his 
daughter  both  thought  it  proper  to  find  the  convent 
where  she  had  been  educated,  and  get  further  facts 
before  proclaiming  their  relationship,  they  se.t  qff 
31 


514  THE    BOEDER    ROVER. 

together  in  the  manner  stated,  and  made  no  mention 
of  it  at  Bent's  Fort,  or  any  other  place  through  which 
they  passed,  preferring  to  let  the  evil-minded  think 
and  say  what  they  pleased,  and  all  parties  draw  their 
own  conclusions. 

I  will  pass  over  the  long,  anxious  journey  into 
Mexico,  and  merely  state  that  the  convent  of  Santa 
Maria  was  at  last  found,  and  some  new  facts  gathered ; 
and  these  facts,  taken  in  connection  with  some  per 
sonal  marks  of  identity,  and  the  strong  resemblance 
Adele  bore  to  the  deceased  Countess,  were  sufficient 
to  induce  the  forlorn  Count  to  claim,  and  proclaim, 
her  as  his  long  lost  daughter  Marina.  Hastening  from 
the  convent  of  Santa  Maria  to  Yera  Cruz,  they  sailed 
for  New  Orleans,  where  the  Count  immediately  pur 
chased  his  present  dwelling,  furniture,  servants,  etc., 
and  established  his  residence,  resolved  to  make  this 
his  future  home — but  where,  after  all,  as  he  himself 
expressed  it,  in  conclusion,  the  presence  of  myself  was 
needed  to  complete  the  happiness  of  his  lovely  daugh 
ter.  With  this  explanation,  I  trust  the  reader  will 
find  I  have  closed  up  all  points  that  in  the  course  of 
my  story  may  have  seemed  mysterious,  and  which  at 
first  view  may  have  been  regarded  as  having  no  direct 
bearing  upon  the  denouement. 

It  was  already  broad  day-light  when  I  left  the  man 
sion  of  Don  Alvaro  and  his  lovely  daughter  to  return 
to  my  hotel.  They  pressed  me  to  stay  longer,  and 
were  loth  to  part  from  me  even  for  a  moment ;  but  I 
knew  that  Marina  needed  rest,  after  a  sleepless  night 


THE     FINALE.  515 

of  such  wild  excitement;  and  I  knew  that  Varney,  if 
he  had  returned,  would  be  greatly  troubled  at  my  ab 
sence  ;  so  I  tore  myself  away,  promising  to  return  to 
dinner.  IIow  changed  were  my  feelings,  as  I  now 
hurried  through  the  streets,  from  those  I  had  experi 
enced  but  a  few  short  hours  before?  Then  I  was 
almost  mad  with  gloom  and  despair — now  almost  wild 
with  rapture !  Truly,  the  age  of  a  human  being 
should  be  reckoned  by  events — not  years. 

As  I  expected,  I  found  Yarney  laboring  under  great 
excitement  from  several  causes — not  the  least  import 
ant  of  which  was  my  own  unaccountable  absence. 

"  My  dear  Iloland,"  he  cried,  grasping  my  hand, 
"where  have  you  been?  and  what  has  happened? 
You  look  weary  and  pale  !1J 

"  It  is  well  if  I  look  no  worse,"  I  replied,  with  a 
solemn  air — for  I  felt  in  the  mood  to  mystify  him  a 
little  before  making  known  to  him  my  good  fortune. 

"  In  Heaven's  name !  what  has  happened?  You  have 
not  been  here  during  the  whole  night ;  and  I  have 
been  tortured  with  a  thousand  wild  surmises!"  he 
cried. 

"  And  how  much  of  the  night  have  you  been  here?" 
I  asked  in  return.  "  I  was  here  the  first  part,  I  know , 
but  I  was  too  gloomy  to  remain  alone ;  so  I  rushed 
out,  and  became  the  hero  of  one  of  the  most  remark 
able  adventures  on  record." 

«  Explain,  Roland !" 

"  Bather  let  me  hear,  your  report  first.  Did  you  see 
Mary  Edwards  ?" 


616  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

"I  did,  God  bless  her !"  lie  exclaimed,  joyfully. 

"Well,  she  is  yours  ?" 

"She  is,  my  dear  friend!  she  is!"  he  cried,  excit 
edly,  grasping  my  hand,  and  struggling  to  keep  down 
his  emotions.  "  Oh !  my  dear  Roland,  I  am  half  mad 
with  joy — and  God  knows  how  my  heart  swells  with 
gratitude  for  all  His  mercies  and  blessings !  Yes,  I 
found  her  more  beautiful  even  than  I  remembered 
her ;  and,  would  you  believe  it,  my  more  than  brother, 
she  was  actually  mourning  my  absence.  Her  joy  at 
seeing  me  returned  in  health  completely  overcame 
her  ;  and  her  father,  as  he  grasped  my  hand,  cried  like 
a  child.  I  returned  here  at  twelve,  the  most  happy 
being  living  ;  and  all  the  sorrow  I  have  since  felt  was 
on  your  account.  Forgive  me,  my  friend,  for  pouring 
into  your  ear  this  joyful  news  in  such  a  wild,  heed 
less  manner !  and  believe  me,  through  it  all  I  deeply 
sympathize  with  you  in  your  irreparable  loss.  Oh ! 
if  Heaven  had  only  willed  that  you  might  be  blessed 
with  Adele,  as  I  am  with  Mary,  what  earthly  happi 
ness  would  then  equal  ours  ?" 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  sympathy,  Alfred ;  and 
really  congratulate  you  with  all  my  heart !"  I  rejoined, 
vigorously  shaking  his  hand. 

"  And  now  tell  me  of  yourself,  Roland  !  You  say 
you  have  had  a  remarkable  adventure?" 

( I  have  indeed.  Let  us  be  seated — I  am  fatigued. 
"Well,  you  must  know,  that,  after  quitting  you  in  the 
morning,  I  began  my  search  for  El  Doliente— but 
returned  at  night,  as  I  had  expected,  without  finding 


THE     FINALE.  517 

any  trace  of  him  whatever.  After  a  slight  repast,  I 
came  up  to  my  room  here,  to  wait  for  you — but  found 
myself  so  miserable  as  to  be  obliged  to  seek  the  open 
air  for  relief.  Not  caring  whither  my  steps  might 
lead  me,  I  set  off  hurriedly  through  the  streets ;  and 
at  last,  unexpectedly,  got  wedged  among  a  throng  of 
people,  who  were  going  to  listen  to  some  musical 
celebrity,  whose  name  I  do  not  even  now  know.  I 
entered  the  hall  with  the  rest,  and  sat  through  the 
entertainment  in  a  sort  of  trance.  On  coming  out,  I 
stationed  myself  where  I  could  get  a  good  view  of 
Creole  fashion  and  beauty;  and  there  remained  till 
my  eye  fell  upon  a  face  more  lovely  than  all  the  rest — 
at  least  I  thought  so,  you  understand — and  which  so 
stirred  me  that  I  determined  to  follow  her  home. 
Her  companion  was  a  gentleman  who  might  be  her 
father,  brother,  husband,  or  lover,  for  anything  that 
I  knew — but  this  did  not  deter  me  from  carrying  out 
my  design.  On  reaching  the  street  they  took  a  car 
riage — my  divinity  and  her  companion,  you  perceive 
— and  I  took  another,  ordering  the  driver  to  put  me 
down  wherever  they  might  stop.  Well,  they  halted 
before  an  elegant  mansion,  and  went  in,  and  I  followed 
them." 

"  Not  into  the  mansion,  Roland?"  cried  Yarney,  in 
astonishment. 

"  Ay,  but  I  did,  though,  even  into  the  mansion,  my 
friend!  Do  not  look  so  astonished,  Alfred!  I  am 
telling  you  the  truth — and  am  perfectly  sane  now — 
though  whether  I  was  at  that  precise  time,  is  some- 


518  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

what  doubtful ;  but,  at  all  events,  I  felt  very  des 
perate,  and  gave  little  thought  to  appearances  or 
consequences." 

"Mad  as  a  loon!"  exclaimed  Varney ;  "you  must 
have  been !  or  you  would  never  have  dared  to  carry 
matters  so  far.  I  am  astonished !" 
.  "I  believe  you,  my  friend,  for  you  show  it  in  your 
looks — but  you  will  be  more  astonished  yet,  when 
you  hear  the  whole  of  my  story." 

"But  how  did  you  get  into  the  dwelling?" 

11 1  asked  to  see  the  master,  and  gave  the  servant 
some  money." 

"  Well,  they  turned  you  out  ?" 

"Not  exactly,  or  I  should  have  been  here  sooner. 
But  pray  do  not  anticipate — for  you  could  not  guess 
the  truth,  if  you  were  to  occupy  all.  the  time  between 
this  and  your  coming  nuptials." 

"Koland,"  cried  Varney,  anxiously,  looking  at  me 
in  an  earnest,  singular  manner — u  are  you  really  sure 
you  are  sane  now  ?" 

"  Perfectly— do  you  doubt  it?" 

"  You  certainly  talk  very  strangely." 

"  Well,  I  have  had  cause ;  but  as  you  seem  deter 
mined  not  to  let  me  finish  my  story,  you  may  as  well 
guess  the  rest,  while  I  lie  down  and  rest  myself;"  and 
as  I  spoke,  I  threw  myself  upon  the  bed. 

"No,  no,  Koland — forgive  me!  Go  on,  and  tell 
your  singular  story  in  your  own  way !  I  will  not  in 
terrupt  you  again." 

"Ten  dollars  to  one  that  you  do !    But  no  matter 


THE     FINALE.  519 

— you  shall  hear  all.  Well,  I  was  shown  into  the 
gentleman's  library,  where  he  shortly  made  his  ap 
pearance  ;  and  after  closing  the  door,  and  putting  my 
back  against  it,  I  drew  my  pistols,  threatened  his  life, 
and  in  an  indirect  way  accused  him  of  seducing  the 
young  lady  from  the  path  of  virtue." 

"  Koland,"  exclaimed  Yarney,  jumping  up  from  his 
chair,  "  if  you  are  really  telling  me  the  truth  now,  I 
only  wonder  you  are  here  to  tell  it,  instead  of  being 
locked  up  in  the  calaboose." 

"  There,' I  knew  I  would  win'"  said  I:  "you  can 
not  possibly  let  me  tell  my  story  without  interrup 
tion." 

"Any  reasonable  story  I  could!"  cried  Yarney; 
"but  this  is  outrageous.  Follow  a  strange  lady  home  1 
go  into  a  strange  gentleman's  house!  and  actually 
threaten  his  life,  and  accuse  him  of  wrong  and  dis 
honor  I  Heavens  I  what  next  ?  But  I  suppose  he  took 
you  for  a  stray  lunatic,  and  so  let  you  go  ?" 

"  He  did  better,  if  you  will  only  listen.  He  was 
horrified  at  my  accusation ;  and  informed  me  that  the 
young  lady  was  his  daughter ;  and,  more  than  that, 
an  heiress,  and  a  Spanish  Countess ;  and  on  my  re 
questing  to  see  her,  he  brought  her  in,  introduced  her 
to  me,  and  we  spent  the  night  in  very  agreeable  con 
versation.  And,  what  is  still  more  to  the  purpose,  I 
am  desperately  in  love  with  her ;  and  we  are  to  be 
married  shortly,  with  the  consent  of  her  father,  Don 
Juan  Alvaro  de  Alvarez,  Count  of  Zamora." 

I  shall  never  forget  the  expression  of  Yarney's  fea- 


520  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

tures  as  I  came  to  the  conclusion.  It  was  not  easy 
to  determine  which  predominated — grief  or  horror — 
as  he  fixed  his  eyes  upon  me,  and  muttered : 

lt  Poor  fellow !  poor  fellow !  now  I  know  he  has  lost 
his  senses.  Despair  has  driven  him  mad.  What  a 
terrible  blow  this  will  be  to  his  parents  I" 

**  Come,"  pursued  I,  u  where  are  your  congratula 
tions  ?  Why  do  you  not  grasp  my  hands  and  wish 
me  much  joy,  as  I  did  you  ?  If  it  is  such  a  happy 
event  for  you  to  get  married,  why  not  also  for  me?" 

"  Lie  down,  Koland,  my  dear  friend  1"  he'  said,  in  a 
kindly,  sympathetic  tone ;  "  lie  down  and  rest  your 
self;  you  are  greatly  fatigued ;  and  I  think  rest  will 
do  you  good." 

"And  is  this  all  you  have  to  say  to  an  old  friend, 
who  has  stood  by  you  through  many  a  peril  and  trial, 
when  he  tells  you  he  is  about  to  marry  Dona  Marina 
Alexa  Helena  de  Alvarez,  Countess  of  Zamora?" 
cried  I.  "  Fie  !  Alfred— I  thought  better  of  you." 

"  Oh !  merciful  Heaven !"  groaned  poor  Yarney,  the 
perspiration  standing  in  beads  on  his  pale  face ;  "  this 
is  terrible  !  this  is  terrible  !  poor  fellow  !  poor  fellow  I" 
and  he  sunk  heavily  upon  his  seat. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  envious  of  my  good  fortune  ?" 
said  I. 

"  No,  God  knows  I  am  not,  my  dear  fellow." 

"Well,  there  is  one  thing,"  I  continued,  "I  have 
neglected  to  mention.  Undoubtedly  it  will  not  cause 
you  to  cease  your  astonishment — but  I  think  it  will 
clear  me  of  being  in  your  estimation  non  compos  mentis. 


THE     FINALE.  521 

I  have  so  far  neglected  to  tell  you,  that  Don  Juan 
Alvaro  de  Alvarez,  Count  of  Zamora,  and  his  lovely 
daughter,  Dona  Marina  Alexa  Helena  de  Alvarez, 
Countess  of  Zamora,  are  no  other  than  Juan  El 
Doliente  and  Adele  Loyola.!" 

"  What  I"  cried  Varney,  springing  up  so  suddenly 
as  to  upset  his  chair  and  a  table  on  which  his  arm 
was  resting:  "You  do  not  mean  to  say — Good  Hea 
vens  ! — Eoland — you — I  am — choking — you — are  not 
— mad  then  ?" 

"  Not  quite  so  mad  as  you  are,  poor  fellow !"  said  I, 
with  a  hearty  burst  of  laughter. 

"  And — and — heavens  !  you  are  in  earnest  ?" 

"  Assuredly  I  am :  earnest  in  having  told  the  truth 
— earnest  in  having  had  my  joke." 

"  And — you — have  really — found  Adele  and  El 
Doliente?" 

"  Found  them  as  father  and  daughter — Count  and 
Countess — that  is,  if  you  allow  a  daughter  to  be  a 
Countess  while  her  father  the  Count  is  living." 

Yarney  bounded  forward,  grasped  my  hand,  and 
nearly  wrung  it  off;  and  then  sat  down  and  cried  for 


There  is  little  more  to  add,  to  complete  the  narrative 
of  my  adventures — for  it  was  never  my  design,  dear 
reader,  to  take  you  through  all  the  scenes  of  my  life. 
If  you  are  pleased  and  satisfied  with  what  you  have 
received,  we  shall  part  friends  ;  but  whether  you  are 


522  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

satisfied  or  not,  we  shall  soon  part,  to  meet  no  more 
on  the  stage  of  life. 

I  remained  two  weeks  in  the  Crescent  City;  and 
every  day,  in  the  society  of  her  I  loved,  my  happi 
ness  seemed  to  increase,  till  I  felt  my  soul  filled  with 
a  rapture  that  banished  even  the  thought  of  sorrow 
and  gloom.  At  last,  on  a  bright,  glorious  day — 
attended  by  Alfred  Yarney  and  Mary  Edwards,  and 
many  of  the  elite  of  the  capital  of  fashion,  wealth  and 
beauty — I  led  her  to  the  sacred  altar  of  her  faith;  and 
there,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  concourse  of  specta 
tors,  the  holy  rite  was  solemnized,  which  bound  us 
together,  here  and  hereafter,  in  time  and  in  eternity, 
on  earth  and  in  the  heavens ;  and  the  great  organ  of 
the  vast  cathedral  pealed  its  joy ;  and  on  its  sweet, 
solemn  music  our  happy  souls  seemed  to  float  upward 
into  the  realms  elysian. 

"  Roland !  Marina !"  said  the  Count,  on  taking  leave 
of  us,  as  he  held  a  hand  of  each,  while  his  eyes  rained 
tears,  and  his  voice  trembled  with  emotions  of  joy ; 
"may  the  great  and  good  God,  and  all  his  saints  and 
ministering  spirits,  ever  watch  over  you,  prosper  you, 
and  bless  you,  even  as  I  do  now  bless  you  with  a 
father's  love.  My  dream  is  now  fulfilled.  You  remem 
ber,  Roland,  how  I  told  you,  in  yon  far  wilderness, 
that  I  had  had  a  dream,  that  filled  my  soul  with 
ecstacy,  and  which  might  become  a  reality  even  as 
my  soul  saw  it.  You  have  seen  it,  and  been  a  part  of 
it — and  so  has  my  sweet  daughter  Marina — God  bless 


THE     FINALE.  523 

you  both!  And  now,  hard  as  it  is  to  part,  I  must  for 
a  season,  I  trust  a  brief  season,  say  farewell  1" 

On  the  very  day  of  my  marriage,  I  left  New  Or 
leans  for  my  northern  home ;  where  in  due  time  I 
arrived,  and  filled  the  hearts  of  my  parents  and  friends 
with  joy. 

Many  years  have  passed  since  then ,  and  I  have  more 
than  once  crossed  the  great  deep  in  company  with  my 
still  lovely  wife  and  her  noble  father;  and  I  have 
even  stood  in  the  venerable  halls  where  Marina  passed 
her  infancy,  and  have  seen  that  picture  of  a  happy 
home  which  she  drew  from  memory  at  our  first  meet 
ing  in  the  wilderness.  Surrounded  now  with  a  loving 
wife,  and  blooming  children,  and  pleasant  friends,  I 
am  still  happy,  whether  my  time  be  spent  in  my 
northern  or  my  southern  home :  and  I  need  only  add, 
that  Alfred  Yarney  finds  a  happiness  which  equals 
mine — it  could  no  more. 

And  now,  kind  reader — you  who  have  been  with 
me  out  upon  the  great  prairies,  and  among  the  great 
mountains — and  have  seen  nature  in  her  wildness, 
freedom,  beauty  and  grandeur — where  man,  untamed 
as  the  beast,  roams  at  will,  and  rules  physically  rather 
than  intellectually ;  you  who  have  witnessed  strange 
scenes,  and  thrilling  scenes,  in  which  I  have  played  an 
humble  part;  and  have  returned  with  me  to  the 
haunts  of  civilization,  and  have  seen  brighter  scenes, 
and  happier  scenes;  and  have  ever  lent  me  your 
kindly  sympathy — sorrowing  with  me  in  my  sorrow, 
and  rejoicing  with  me  in  my  joy, — to  you  I  must  now 


524:  THE    BORDER    ROVER. 

say  farewell.  That  you  may  ever  surmount  all  obsta 
cles  which  lie  in  your  pathway  of  life,  arid  reach  the 
loftiest  summit  of  your  hopes  and  aspirations,  and 
behold  the  sun  of  joy  pouring  upon  you  the  light  of 
an  eternal  day,  is  the  prayer  of  him  who  nr»w  bids 
you  a  final  adieu  ! 


THE    END. 


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(2) 


T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS.      3 
CHARLES  DICKENS'  WORKS. 

The  best  and  most  popular  in  the  world.     Ten  different  editions.     No 

Library  can  be  complete  without  a  Sett  of  these  Works. 

Reprinted  from  the  Author's  last  Editions. 

"  PETERSON'S"  is  the  only  complete  and  uniform  edition  of  Charlei 
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PICKWICK  PAPERS,  Nine  New  Stories  by  the  Christmas 

DOMBEY  AND  SON,  Fire.     Hard  Times.     Lizzie  Leigh. 

MARTIN  CHUZZLEWIT,  The  Miner's  Daughters,  etc. 

BARNABY  RUDGE,  CHRISTMAS    STORIES.     Contain- 

OLD  CURIOSITY  SHOP,  ing— A     Christmas     Carol.       The 

SKETCHES  BY  "BOZ,"  Chimes.     Cricket  on  the  Hearth. 

OLIVER  TWIST  Battle  of  Life.     Haunted  Man,  and 

BLEAK  HOUSE,  Pictures  from  Italy. 

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"        2    do.        Oliver  Twist,  Sketches  by  "  Boz,"  and  Barnaby  Rudge. 

"        3     do.        Nicholas  Nickleby  and  Martin  Chuzzlewit. 

"  4  do.  David  Copperfield,  Dombey  and  Son,  Christmas  Stories, 
and  Pictures  from  Italy. 

*  5  do.  Bleak  House,  and  Dickens'  New  Stories.  Containing 
— The  Seven  Poor  Travellers.  Nine  New  Stories 
by  the  Christmas  Fire.  Hard  Times.  Lizzie 
Leigh.  The  Miner's  Daughters,  and  Fortune 
Wildred,  etc. 

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«            "              "            "           scarlet  cloth,  extra,  8  50 

«            "              "            "           library  sheep,  9  00 

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*            "              "            "           half  calf,  antique,  15  00 
liluttrated  Edition  it  described  on  next  page. 


4       T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS. 
ILLUSTRATED  EDITION  OF  DICKENS'  WORKS. 

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BLEAK  HOUSE,       Price,  $1  50 
PICKWICK  PAPERS,  1  50 

OLD  CURIOSITY  SHOP,      1  50 
OLIVER  TWIST,  1  50 

SKETCHES  BY  "BOZ,"      1  50 
BARNABY  RUDGE,  1  50 


NICHOLAS  NICKLEBY,  $1  50 
MARTIN  CHUZZLEWIT,  150 
DAVID  COPPERFIELD,  1  50 
DOMBEY  AND  SON,  1  50 

CHRISTMAS  STORIES,  1  50 
DICKENS'  NEW  STORIES,  1  50 


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PETER  SIMPLE.  NAVAL  OFFICER. 

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THE  ORPHAN  NIECE.  THE  HEIRESS. 

KATE  WALSINGHAM.  PRINCE  AND  PEDLER. 

THE  POOR  COUSIN.  MERCHANT'S  DAUGHTER. 

ELLEN  WAREHAM.  THE  FRIGHT. 

THE  QUIET  HUSBAND.  NAN  DARRELL. 

WHO  SHALL  BE  HEIR?  THE  SQUIRE. 

THE  SECRET  FOB.  THE  EXPECTANT. 

AGNES.  SERLE.  THE  GRUMBLER.  50  ct*. 


T,  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS.      ' 
MRS.  CAROLINE  LEE  HENTZ'S  WORKS. 

COURTSHIP  AND  MARRIAGE;  OR,  THE  JOYS  AND  SORROWS 
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LOVE  AFTER  MARRIAGE  ;  and  other  Stories.  Complete  in  two  vol 
umes,  paper  cover,  price  One  Dollar,  or  bound  in  one  volume,  cloth, 
gilt,  for  One  Dollar  and  Twenty-five  cents. 

EOLINE ;  OR,  MAGNOLIA  VALE.  Complete  in  two  volumes,  paper 
cover,  price  One  Dollar,  or  bound  in  one  volume,  cloth  gilt,  $1  25. 

THE  BANISHED  SON;  and  other  Stories.  Complete  in  two  volumeg, 
paper  cover,  price  One  Dollar,  or  bound  in  one  volume,  cloth  gilt,  $1  25. 

HELEN  AND  ARTHUR.  Complete  in  two  volumes,  paper  cover,  price 
One  Dollar,  or  bound  in  one  volume,  cloth  gilt,  $1  25. 

The  whole  of  the  above  are  also  published  in  a  very  fine  style,  bound 
in  the  very  best  and  most  elegant  and  substantial  manner,  in  full  Crimson, 
•with  beautifully  gilt  edges,  full  gilt  sides,  gilt  backs,  etc.,  etc.,  making 
them  the  best  and  most  acceptable  books  for  presentation  at  the  price, 
published  in  the  country.  Price  of  either  one  in  this  style,  Two  Dollars. 

T.  S.  ARTHUR'S  WORKS. 

Either  of  which  can  be  had  separately.  Price  25  cents  each.  They  art 
the  most  moral,  popular  and  entertaining  in  the  world.  There  are  •« 
better  books  to  place  in  the  hands  of  the  young.  All  will  profit  by  them. 

YEAR  AFTER  MARRIAGE.  TRIAL  AND  TRIUMPH. 

THE  DIVORCED  WIFE.  THE  ORPHAN  CHILDREN. 

THE  BANKER'S  WIFE.  THE  DEBTOR'S  DAUGHTER 

PRIDE  AND  PRUDENCE.  INSUBORDINATION. 

CECILIA  HOWARD.  LUCY  SANDFORD. 

MARY  MORETON.  AGNES,  or  the  Possessed. 

LOVE  IN  A  COTTAGE.  THE  TWO  BRIDES. 

LOVE  IN  HIGH  LIFE.  THE  IRON  RULE. 

THE  TWO  MERCHANTS.  THE  OLD  ASTROLOGER 

LADY  AT  HOME.  THE  SEAMSTRESS. 


6      T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS. 
CHARLES  LEVER'S  NOVELS. 

CHARLES  O'MALLEY,  the  Irish  Dragoon.  By  Charles  Lever.  Co.n- 
plete  in  one  large  octavo  volume  of  324  pages.  Price  Fifty  cents ;  or 
an  edition  on  finer  paper,  bound  in  cloth,  illustrated.  Price  One 
Dollar. 

THE  KNIGHT  OF  GWYNNE.  A  tale  of  the  time  of  the  Union.  By 
Charles  Lever.  Complete  in  one  fine  octavo  volume.  Price  Fifty 
cents;  or  an  edition  on  finer  paper,  bound  in  cloth,  illustrated. 
Price  One  Dollar. 

JACK  HINTON,  the  Guardsman.  By  Charles  Lever.  Complete  in  one 
large  octavo  volume  of  400  pages.  Price  Fifty  cents ;  or  an  edition 
on  finer  paper,  bound  in  cloth,  illustrated.  Price  One  Dollar. 

TOM  BURKE  OF  OURS.  By  Charles  Lever.  Complete  in  one  large 
octavo  volume  of  300  pages.  Price  Fifty  cents ;  or  an  edition  on 
finer  paper,  bound  in  cloth,  illustrated.  Price  One  Dollar. 

ARTHUR  0  LEARY.  By  Charles  Lever.  Complete  in  one  large  octavo 
volume.  Price  Fifty  cents;  or  an  edition  on  finer  paper,  bound  in 
cloth,  illustrated.  Price  One  Dollar. 

KATE  O'DONOGHUE.  A  Tale  of  Ireland.  By  Charles  Lever.  Com 
plete  in  one  large  octavo  volume.  Price 'Fil'ty  cents;  or  an  edition 
on  finer  paper,  bound  in  cloth,  illustrated.  Price  One  Dollar. 

HORACE  TEMPLETON.  By  Charles  Lever.  This  is  Lever's  Now 
Book.  Complete  in  one  large  octavo  volume.  Price  Fifty  cents  ;  or 
an  edition  on  finer  paper,  bound  in  cloth,  illustrated.  Price  One  Dollar. 

HARRY  LORREQUER.  By  Charles  Lever,  author  of  the  above  seven 
works.  Complete  in  one  octavo  volume  of  402  pages.  Price  Fifty 
cents;  or  an  edition  on  finer  paper,  bound  in  cloth,  illustrated.  Price 
One  Dollar. 

VALENTINE  VOX.— LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  VALENTINE 
VOX,  the  Ventriloquist.  By  Henry  Cockton.  One  of  the  most 
humorous  books  ever  published.  Price  Fifty  cents ;  or  an  edition  on 
finer  paper,  bound  in  cloth.  Price  One  Dollar. 

PERCY  EFFINGHAM.  By  Henry  Cockton,  author  of  "  Valentine  Vox, 
the  Ventriloquist."  One  large  octavo  volume.  Price  50  cents. 

TEN  THOUSAND  A  YEAR.  By  Samuel  C.  Warren.  With  Portraits 
of  Snap,  Quirk,  Gammon,  and  Tittlebat  Titmouse,  Esq.  Two  largo 
octavo  vols.,  of  547  pages.  Price  Ono  Dollar;  or  an  edition  on  finer 
paper,  bound  in  cloth,  $1,50. 

CHARLES  J.  PETERSON'S  WORKS. 

KATE  AYLESFORD.  A  story  of  the  Refugees.  One  of  the  most  popu 
lar  books  ever  printed.  Complete  in  two  large  volumes,  paper  cover. 
Price  One  Dollar;  or  bound  in  one  volume,  cloth,  gilt.  Price  $1  25. 

CRUISING  IN  THE  LAST  WAR.    A  Naval  Story  of  the  War  of  1812. 

First  and  Second  Series.     Being  the  complete  work,  unabridged.   By 
Charles  J.  Peterson.     228  octavo  pages.     Price  50  cents. 

GRACE  DUDLEY;  OR,  ARNOLD  AT  SARATOGA.  By  Charles  J. 
Peterson.  Illustrated.  Price  25  cents. 

THE  VALLEY  FARM;  OR,  the  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OF  AN  OR 
PHAN.  A  companion  to  Jane  Eyre.  Price  25  cents. 


T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS.       7 
EUGENE  SUE'S  NOVELS. 

THE  MYSTERIES  OF  PARIS;  AND  GEROLSTEIN,  the  Sequel  to  it. 
By  Eugene  Sue,  author  of  the  "Wandering  Jew,"  and  the  greatest 
work  ever  written.  With  illustrations.  Complete  in  two  large  volumes, 
octavo.  Price  One  Dollar. 

THE  ILLUSTRATED  WANDERING  JEW.  By  Eugene  Sue.  With 
87  largo  illustrations.  Two  large  octavo  volumes.  Price  One  Dollar. 

THE  FEMALE  BLUEBEARD;  or,  the  Woman  with  many  Husbandg. 
By  Eugene  Sue.  Price  Twenty-five  cents. 

FIRST  LOVE.  A  Story  of  the  Heart.  By  Eugene  Sue.  Price  Twenty- 
five  cents. 

WOMAN'S  LOVE.  A  Novel.  By  Eugene  Sue.  Illustrated.  Price 
Twenty-five  cents. 

MAN-OF-WAR'S-MAN.  A  Tale  of  the  Sea.  By  Eugene  Sue.  Price 
Twenty-five  cents. 

RAOUL  DE  SURVILLE;  or,  the  Times  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  in^lSlO 
Price  Twenty-five  cents. 

SIR  E.  L.  BULWER'S  NOVELS. 

FALKLAND.  A  Novel.  By  Sir  E.  L.  Bulwer,  author  of  "  The  Roue, 
"  Oxonians,"  etc.  One  volume,  octavo.  Price  25  cents. 

THE  ROUE;  OR  THE  HAZARDS  OF  WOMEN.     Price  25  cents. 
THE  OXONIANS.     A  Sequel  to  the  Roue.     Price  25  cents. 
CALDERON  THE  COURTIER.    By  Bulwor.     Price  12J  cents. 

MRS.  GREY'S  NOVELS. 

Either  of  which  can  be  had  separately.  Price  25  cents  each.  They  »-»» 
printed  on  the  finest  white  paper,  and  each  forms  one  large  octavo  volume, 
complete  in  itself,  neatly  bound  in  a  strong  paper  cover. 

DUKE  AND  THE  COUSIN.  THE  YOUNG  PRIMA  DONNA. 

GIPSY'S  DAUGHTER.  THE  OLD  DOWER  HOUSE. 

BELLE  OF  THE  FAMILY.  HYACINTHE. 

SYBIL  LENNARD.  ALICE  SEYMOUR. 

THE  LITTLE  WIFE.  HARRY  MONK. 

MANCEUVRLNG  MOTHER.  MARY  SEAHAM.    250   pager. 
LENA    CAMERON ;    or,   the  Four  Price  50  cents. 

Sisters.  PASSION  AND  PRINCIPLE 
THE  BARONET'S  DAUGHTERS.  200  pages.  Price  50  cents. 

GEORGE  W.  M.  REYNOLD'S  WORKS. 

THE  NECROMANCER.  A  Romance  of  the  times  of  Henry  the  Eighth. 
By  G.  W.  M.  Reynolds.  One  large  volume.  Price  75  cents. 

THE  PARRICIDE ;  OR,  THE  YOUTH'S  CAREER  IN  CRIME.  By 
G.  W.  M.  Reynolds.  Full  of  beautiful  illustrations.  Price  50  cents. 

LIFE  IN  PARIS;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  ALFRED  DE  ROSANN 
IN  THE  METROPOLIS  OF  FRANCE.  By  G.  W.  M.  Reynolds. 
Full  of  Engravings.  Price  50  cents. 


8       T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS. 
AINSWORTH'S  WORKS. 

JACK  SHEPPARD.— PICTORIAL  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OP 
JACK  SHEPPARD,  the  most  noted  burglar,  robber,  and  jail  breaker, 
that  over  lived.  Embellished  with  Thirty-nine,  full  page,  spirited 
Illustrations,  designed  and  engraved  in  the  finest  style  of  art,  by 
George  Cruikshank,  Esq.,  of  London.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

ILLUSTRATED  TOWER  OF  LONDON.  With  100  splendid  engravings. 
This  is  beyond  all  doubt  one  of  the  most  interesting  works  ever 
published  in  the  known  world,  and  can  be  read  and  re-read  with 
pleasure  and  satisfaction  by  everybody.  We  advise  all  persons  to 
get  it  and  read  it.  Two  volumes,  octavo.  Price  One  Dollar. 

PICTORIAL  LIFE   AND   ADVENTURES   OF   GUY  FAWKES,  The 

Chief  of  the  Gunpowder  Treason.  The  Bloody  Tower,  etc.    Illustrated. 
By  William  Harrison  Ainswor'h.     200  pages.     Price  Fifty  cents. 

THE  STAR  CHAMBER.  An  Historical  Romance.  By  W.  Harrison 
Aiusworth.  With  17  large  full  page  illustrations.  Price  50  cents. 

THE  PICTORIAL  OLD  ST.  PAUL'S.  By  William  Harrison  Ainsworth. 
Full  of  Illustrations.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

MYSTERIES  9F  THE  COURT  OF  QUEEN  ANNE.  By  William 
Harrison  Ainsworth.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

MYSTERIES  OF  THE  COURT  OF  THE  STUARTS.  By  Ainsworth. 
Being  one  of  the  most  interesting  Historical  Romances  ever  written. 
One  large  volume.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

DICK  TURPIN.— ILLUSTRATED  LIFE  OF  DICK  TURPIN,  the 
Highwayman,  Burglar,  Murderer,  etc.  Price  Twenty-tive  cents. 

HENRY  THOMAS.— LIFE  OF  HARRY  THOMAS,  the  Western  Burglar 
and  Murderer.  Full  of  Engravings.  Price  Twenty-live  cents. 

DESPERADOES.— ILLUSTRATED  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OP 
THE  DESPERADOES  OF  THE  NEW  WORLD.  Full  of  engravings. 
Price  Twenty-five  cents. 

NINON  DE  L'ENCLOS.— LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  NINON 
DE  L'ENCLOS,  with  her  Letters  on  Love,  Courtship  and  Marriage. 
Illustrated.  Price  Twenty-five  cents. 

THE  PICTORIAL  NEWGATE  CALENDAR;  or  the  Chronicles  of  Crime. 
Beautifully  illustrated  with  Fifteen  Engravings.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

PICTORIAL  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  DAVY  CROCKETT. 
Written  by  himself.  Beautifully  illustrated.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  ARTHUR  SPRING,  the  murderer  of 
Mrs.  Ellen  Lynch  and  Mrs.  Honora  Shaw,  with  a  complete  history  of 
his  life  and  misdeeds,  from  the  time  of  his  birth  until  he  was  hung. 
Illustrated  with  portraits.  Price  Twenty -five  cents. 

JACK  ADAMS.— PICTORIAL  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  JACK 
ADAMS;  the  celebrated  Sailor  and  Mutineer.  By  Captain  Chamier, 
author  of  "  The  Spitfire."  Full  of  illustrations.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

GRACE  O'MALLEY.— PICTORIAL  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OP 
GRACE  O'MALLEY.  By  William  H.  Maxwell,  author  of  "  Wild 
Sports  in  the  West."  Price  Fifty  cents. 

THE  PIRATE'S  SON.  A  Sea  Novel  of  great  interest.  Full  of  beautiful 
illustrations.  Price  Twenty-fire  cents. 


T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS.      9 
ALEXANDRE  DUMAS'  WORKS. 

THE  IKON  MASK,  OR  THE  FEATS  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 
RAOULE  BE  BRAGELONNE.  Being  the  conclusion  of  "The. 
Three  Guardsmen,"  •' Twenty  Years  After,"  and  "Bragelonne."  By 
Alexundre  Dumas.  Complete  in  two  large  volumes,  of  420  octavo 
pages,  with  beautifully  Illustrated  Covers,  Portraits,  arid  Engravings. 
Price  One  Dollar. 

LOUISE  LA  VALLIERE;  OR  THE  SECOND  SERIES  AND  FINAL 
END  OF  TUB  IRON  MASK.  By  Alexandro  Dumas.  This  work 
is  the  final  end  of  "The  Three  Guardsmen,"  "Twenty  Years  After," 
"Bragelonne,"  and  "  The  Iron  Mask,"  and  is  of  far  more  interesting 
and  absorbing  interest,  than  any  of  its  predecessors.  Complete  in 
two  large  octavo  volumes  of  over  400  pages,  printed  on  the  best  of 
paper,  beautifully  illustrated.  It  also  contains  correct  Portraits  of 
"  Louise  La  Valliere,"  and  "  The  Hero  of  the  Iron  Mask."  Price  Ono 
Dollar. 

THE  MEMOIRS  OF  A  PHYSICIAN;  OR  THE  SECRET  HISTORY  OF 
LOUIS  THE  FIFTEENTH.  By  Alexandre  Dumas.  It  is  beautifully 
embellished  with  thirty  engravings,  which  illustrate  the  principal 
scenes  and  characters  of  the  different  heroines  throughout  the  work. 
Complete  in  two  largo  octavo  volumes.  Price  One  Dollar. 

THE  QUEEN'S  NECKLACE  :  OR  THE  SECRET  HISTORY  OF  THE 
COURT  OF  LOUIS  THE  SIXTEENTH.  A  Sequel  to  the  Memoirs 
of  a  Physician.  By  Alexandro  Dumas.  It  is  beautifully  illustrated 
with  portraits  of  the  heroines  of  the  work.  Complete  in  two  largo 
octavo  volumes  of  over  400  pages.  Price  One  Dollar. 

SIX  YEARS  LATER;  OR  THE  TAKING  OF  THE  BASTILE.  By 
Alexandro  Dumas.  Being  the  continuation  of  "  The  Queen's  Neck 
lace;  or  the  Secret  History  of  the  Court  of  Louis  the  Sixteenth,"  and 
''Memoirs  of  a  Physician."  Complete  in  one  large  octavo  volume, 
Price  Seventy-five  cents. 

COUNTESS  DE  CHARNY;  OR  THE  FALL  OF  THE  FRENCH 
MONARCHY.  By  Alexandre  Dumas.  This  work  is  the  final  con 
clusion  of  the  "Memoirs  of  a  Physician,"  "The  Queen's  Necklace," 
and  "  Six  Years  Later,  or  Taking  of  the  Bastile."  All  persons  who 
have  not  read  Dumas  in  this,  his  greatest  and  most  instructive  pro 
duction,  should  begin  at  once,  and  no  pleasure  will  be  found  so 
agreeable,  and  nothing  in  novel  form  so  useful  and  absorbing.  Com 
plete  in  two  volumes,  beautifully  illustrated.  Price  One  Dollar. 

DIANA  OF  MERIDOR;  THE  LADY  OF  MONSOREAU ;  or  Franco  in 
the  Sixteenth  Century.  By  Alexandre  Dumas.  An  Historical  Ro 
mance.  Complete  in  two  large  octavo  volumes  of  538  pages,  with 
numerous  illustrative  engravings.  Price  One  Dollar. 

ISABEL  OF  BAVARIA;  or  the  Chronicles  of  France  for  the  reign  of 
Charles  the  Sixth.  Complete  in  one  fine  octavo  volume  of  211  pages, 
printed  on  the  finest  white  paper.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

EDMOND  DANTES.  Being  the  sequel  to  Dumas'  celebrated  novel  of 
the  Count  of  Monte  Cristo.  With  elegant  illustrations.  Complete  in 
one  large  octavo  volume  of  over.  200  pages.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

THE  CORSICAN  BROTHERS.  This  work  has  already  been  dramatized, 
and  is  now  played  in  all  the  theatres  of  Europe  and  in  this  country, 
and  it  is  exciting  an  extraordinary  interest.  Price  Twenty  -five  cents. 


10     T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS. 
ALEXANDRE  DUMAS'  WORKS, 

SKETCHES  IN  FRANCE.  By  Alexandre  Dumas.  It  is  as  good  a 
book  as  Thackeray's  Sketches  in  Ireland.  Dumas  never  wrote  a 
better  book.  It  is  the  most  delightful  book  of  the  season.  Price 
Fifty  cents. 

GENEVIEVE,  OR  THE  CHEVALIER  OF  THE  MAISON  ROUQB. 
By  Alexandre  Dumas.  An  Historical  Romance  of  the  French  Revo 
lution.  Complete  in  one  large  octavo  volume  of  over  200  pages, 
with  numerous  illustrative  engravings.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

GEORGE  LIPPARD'S  WORKS. 

WASHINGTON  AND  HIS  GENERALS;  or,  Legends  of  the  American 
Revolution.  Complete  in  two  large  octavo  volumes  of  538  pages, 
printed  on  the  finest  white  paper.  Price  One  Dollar. 

THE  QUAKER  CITY;  or,  the  Monks  of  Monk  Hall.  A  Romance  of 
Philadelphia  Life,  Mystery  and  Crime.  Illustrated  with  numerous 
Engravings.  Complete  in  two  large  octavo  volumes  of  500  pages. 
Price  One  Dollar. 

THE  LADYE  OF  ALBARONE;  or,  the  Poison  Goblet.  A  Romance  of 
the  Dark  Ages.  Lippard's  Last  Work,  and  never  before  published. 
Complete  in  one  large  octavo  volume.  Price  Seventy-five  cents. 

PAUL  ARDENHEIM ;  the  Monk  of  Wissahickon.  A  Romance  of  the 
Revolution.  Illustrated  with  numerous  engravings.  Complete  in 
two  large  octavo  volumes,  of  nearly  600  pages.  Price  One  Dollar. 

BLANCHE  OF  BRANDYWINE;  or,  September  the  Eleventh,  1777.  A 
Romance  of  the  Poetry,  Legends,  and  History  of  the  Battle  of  Brandy- 
wine.  It  makes  a  large  octavo  volume  of  350  pages,  printed  on  the 
finest  white  paper.  Price  Seventy-five  cents. 

LEGENDS  OF  MEXICO;  or,  Battles  of  General  Zachary  Taylor,  late 
President  of  the  United  States.  Complete  in  one  octavo  volume  of 
128  pages.  Price  Twenty-five  cents. 

THE  NAZARENE;  or,  the  Last  of  the  Washingtons.  A  Revelation  of 
Philadelphia,  New  York,  and  Washington,  in  the  year  1844.  Com 
plete  in  one  volume.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

B.  DISRAELI'S  NOVELS. 

VIVIAN  GREY.  By  B.  D'Israeli,  M.  P.  Complete  in  one  large  octavo 
volume  of  225  pages.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

THE  YOUNG  DUKE ;  or  the  younger  days  of  George  the  Fourth.  By 
B.  D'Israeli,  M.  P.  One  octavo  volume.  Price  Thirty-eight  cents. 

VENETIA;  or,  Lord  Byron  and  his  Daughter.  By  B.  D'Israoli,  M.  P. 
Complete  in  one  large  octavo  volume.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

HENRIETTA  TEMPLE.  A  Love  Story.  By  B.  D'Isracli,  M.  P.  Com- 
plete  in  one  large  octavo  volume.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

CONTARINA  FLEMING.  An  Autobiography.  By  B.  D'Israeli,  M.  P, 
One  volume,  octavo.  Price  Thirty-eight  cents. 

MIRIAM  ALROY.  A  Romance  of  the  Twelfth  Century.  By  B.  D'Israeli, 
M.  P.  Ono  volume  octavo.  Price  Thirty-eight  cents. 


T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS.     11 
EMERSON  BENNETT'S  WORKS. 

CLARA  MORELAND.  This  is  a  powerfully  written  romance.  The 
characters  arc  boldly  drawn,  the  plot  striking,  the  incidents  replete 
with  thrilling  interest,  and  the  language  and  descriptions  natural  and 
graphic,  as  are  all  of  Mr.  Bennett's  Works.  336  pages.  Price  50 
cents  in  paper  cover,  or  One  Dollar  in  cloth,  gilt. 

VIOLA;    OR,  ADVENTURES  IN  THE  FAR  SOUTH-WEST.    Com- 

I'lete  in  one  largo  volume.    Price  50  cents  in  paper  cover,  or  75  cent* 
in  cloth,  gilt. 

THE  FORGED  WILL.  Complete  in  one  large  volume,  of  over  300 
pages,  paper  cover,  price  50  cents;  or  bound  in  cloth,  gilt,  price  $1  00. 

KATE  CLARENDON;  OR,  NECROMANCY  IN  THE  WILDERNESS. 
Price  50  cents  in  paper  cover,  or  75  cents  in  cloth,  gilt. 

BRIDE  OF  THE  WILDERNESS.  Complete  in  one  large  volume. 
Price  50  cents  in  paper  cover,  or  75  cents  in  cloth,  gilt. 

THE  PIONEER'S  DAUGHTER;  and  THE  UNKNOWN  COUNTESS. 
By  Emerson  Bennett.  Price  50  cents. 

HEIRESS  OF  BELLEFONTE ;  and  WALDE-WARREN.  A  Tale  of 
Circumstantial  Evidence.  By  Emerson  Bennett.  Price  50  cents. 

ELLEN  NORBURY ;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  AN  ORPHAN. 

Complete  in  one  largo  volume,  price  50  cents  in  paper  cover,  or  ia 
cloth  gilt,  $1  00. 

MISS  LESLIE'S  NEW  COOK  BOOK. 

MISS  LESLIE'S  NEW  RECEIPTS  FOR  COOKING.  Comprising  new 
and  approved  methods  of  preparing  all  kinds  of  soups,  fish,  oysters, 
terrapins,  turtle,  vegetables,  meats,  poultry,  gmme,  sauces,  pickles, 
aweet  meats,  cakes,  pies,  puddings,  confectionery,  rice,  Indian  meal 
preparations  of  all  kinds,  domestic  liquors,  perfumery,  remedies, 
laundry-work,  needle-work,  letters,  additional  receipts,  etc.  Also, 
list  of  articles  suited  to  go  together  for  breakfasts,  dinners,  and  sup 
pers,  and  much  useful  information  and  many  miscellaneous  subjects 
connected  with  general  house-wifery.  It  is  an  elegantly  printed  duo 
decimo  volume  of  520  pages ;  and  in  it  there  will  be  found  One  Thou 
sand  and  Eleven  new  Receipts — all  useful — some  ornamental — and  all 
invaluable  to  every  lady,  miss,  or  family  in  the  world.  This  work  has 
had  a  very  extensive  sale,  and  many  thousand  copies  have  been  sold, 
and  the  demand  is  increasing  yearly,  being  the  most  complete  work 
of  the  kind  published  in  the  world,  and  also  the  latest  and  best,  as, 
in  addition  to  Cookery,  its  receipts  for  making  cakes  and  confec 
tionery  are  unequalled  by  any  other  work  extant.  New  edition,  en 
larged  and  improved,  and  handsomely  bound.  Price  One  Dollar  a 
copy  only.  This  is  the  only  new  Cook  Book  by  Miss  Leslie. 

GEORGE  SANDS'  WORKS. 

FIRST  AND  TRUE  LOVE.  A  True  Love  Story.  By  George  Sand, 
author  of  "  Consuelo,"  "  Indiana,"  etc.  It  is  one  of  the  most  charm 
ing  and  interesting  works  ever  published.  Illustrated.  Price  50  cents. 

INDIANA.  By  George  Sand,  author  of  "  First  and  True  Love/'  etc. 
A  very  bewitching  and  interesting  work.  Price  50  cents. 

THE  CORSAIR.    A  Venetian  Tale.    Price  25  cents. 


12     T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS 

HUMOROUS  AMERICAN  WORKS. 

WITH  ORIGINAL  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  DARLEY  AND   OTHERS, 

AND  BEAUTIFULLY  ILLUMINATED  COVERS. 

We  have  just  published  new  and  beautiful  editions  of  the  following 
HUMOROUS  AMERICAN  WORKS.  They  are  published  in  the  beat 
possible  style,  full  of  original  Illustrations,  by  Barley,  descriptive  of  all  *ho 
best  scenes  in  each  work,  with  Illuminated  Covers,  with  new  and  beautiful 
designs  on  each,  and  are  printed  on  the  finest  and  best  of  white  paper. 
There  are  no  works  to  compare  with  them  in  point  of  wit  and  humor,  in 
the  whole  world.  The  price  of  each  work  is  Fifty  cents  only. 

THE  FOLLOWING  ARE  THE  NAMES  OF  THE  WOEKS. 

MAJOR  JONES'  COURTSHIP :  detailed,  with  other  Scenes,  Incidents, 
and  Adventures,  in  a  Series  of  Letters,  by  himself.  With  Thirteen 
Illustrations  from  designs  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

DRAMA  IN  POKERVILLE:  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  Jurytown,  and 
other  Stories.  By  "Everpoint,"  (J.  M.  Field,  of  the  St.  Louis 
Reveille.)  With  Illustrations  from  designs  by  Darley.  Fifty  cents. 

CHARCOAL  SKETCHES ;  or,  Scenes  in  the  Metropolis.  By  Joseph  C. 
Neal,  author  of  "  Peter  Ploddy,"  "  Misfortunes  of  Peter  Faber,"  etc. 
With  Illustrations.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

YANKEE  AMONGST  THE  MERMAIDS,  and  other  Waggeries  and 
Vagaries.  !6y  W,  E.  Burton,  Comedian.  With  Illustrations  by 
Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

MISFORTUNES  OF  PETER  FABER,  and  other  Sketches.  By  the 
author  of  "  Charcoal  Sketches."  With  Illustrations  by  Darley  and 
others.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

MAJOR  JONES'  SKETCHES  OF  TRAVEL,  comprising  the  Scenes, 
Incidents,  and  Adventures  in  his  Tour  from  Georgia  to  Canada. 
With  Eight  Illustrations  from  Designs  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

STREAKS  OF  SQUATTER  LIFE,  and  Far  West  Scenes.  A  Series  of 
humorous  Sketches,  descriptive  of  Incidents  and  Character  in  the 
Wild  West.  By  the  author  of  "Major  Jones'  Courtship,"  "  Swallow 
ing  Oysters  Alive,"  etc.  With  Illustrations  from  designs  by  Darley, 
Price  Fifty  cents. 

QUARTER  RACE  IN  KENTUCKY,  AND  OTHER  STORIES.  By 
W.  T.  Porter,  Esq.,  of  the  New  York  Spirit  of  the  Times.  With 
Eight  Illustrations  and  designs  by  Darley.  Complete  in  one  volume. 
Price  Fifty  cents. 

SIMON  SUGGS.— ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  SIMON  SUGGS,  lato 
of  the  Tallapoosa  Volunteers,  together  with  "Taking  the  Census," 
and  other  Alabama  Sketches.  By  a  Country  Editor.  With  a  Portrait 
from  Life,  and  Nine  other  Illustrations  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents 

JUVAL  BELLES.  By  J.  B.  Jones,  author  of  "Wild  Western  Scenes/' 
etc.  This  is  a  very  humorous  and  entertaining  work,  and  one  th  •. 
will  bo  recommended  by  all  after  reading  it.  Price  Fifty  cents. 


T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS.     13 
HUMOROUS  AMERICAN  WORKS. 

YANKEE  YARNS  AND  YANKEE  LETTERS.  By  Sam  Slick,  alias 
Judge  Haliburton.  Full  of  the  drollest  humor  that  has  ever  emanated 
from  the  pen  of  any  author.  Every  page  will  sot  you  in  a  roar. 
Price  Fifty  cents. 

LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  COL.  VANDERBOMB,  AND  THE 
EXPLOITS  OF  HIS  PRIVATE  SECRETARY.  By  J.  B.  Jones, 
author  of  "  The  Rival  Belles,"  "  Wild  Western  Scenes,"  etc.  Pric« 
Fifty  cents. 

BIG  BEAR  OF  ARKANSAS,  nml  other  Sketches,  illustrative  of  Charac 
ters  and  Incidents  in  the  South  and  South-Wcst.  Edited  by  Win.  T. 
Porter.  With  Illustrations  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

MAJOR  JONES'  CHRONICLES  OF  PINEVILLE;  embracing  Sketches 
of  Georgia  Scenes,  Incidents,  and  Characters.  By  the  author  of 
"Major  Jones'  Courtship,"  etc.  With  Illustrations  by  Darley.  Prico 
Fifty  cents. 

LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF  PERCIVAL  MABERRY.  By  J.  H. 
Ingraham.  It  will  interest  and  please  everybody.  All  who  enjoy  a 
good  laugh  should  get  it  at  once.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

FRANK  FORESTER'S  QUORNDON  HOUNDS;  or,  A  Virginian  at 
Melton  Mowbray.  By  H.  W.  Herbert,  Esq.  With  Illustrations. 
Price  Fifty  cents. 

PICKINGS  FROM  THE  PORTFOLIO  OF  THE  REPORTER  OF  THE 
"NEW  ORLEANS  PICAYUNE."  Comprising  Sketches  of  the 
Eastern  Yankee,  the  Western  Hoosier,  and  such  others  as  make  up 
society  in  the  great  Metropolis  of  the  South.  With  Illustrations  by 
Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

FRANK  FORESTER'S  SHOOTING  BOX.  By  the  author  of  "The 
Quorndon  Hounds,"  "  The  Deer  Stalkers,"  etc.  With  Illustrations  by 
Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

STRAY  SUBJECTS  ARRESTED  AND  BOUND  OVER;  being  the 
Fugitive  Offspring  of  the  "Old  Un"  and  the  "Young  Un,"  that  havo 
been  "Laying  Around  Loose,"  and  are  now  "tied  up"  for  fast  keep 
ing.  With  Illustrations  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

FRANK  FORESTER'S  DEER  STALKERS  ;  a  Tale  of  Circumstantial 
evidence.  By  the  author  of  "My  Shooting  Box,"  "The  Quorndon 
Hounds,"  etc.  With  Illustrations.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  FARRAGO.  By  Hon.  II.  II.  Bracken- 
ridge.  For  Sixteen  years  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania.  With  Illustrations  from  designs  by  Darley. 
Price  Fifty  cents. 

THE  CHARMS  OF  PARIS;  or,  Sketches  of  Travel  and  Adventures  by 
Night  and  Day,  of  a  Gentleman  of  Fortune  and  Leisure.  From  hia 
private  journal.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

PETER  PLODDY,  and  other  oddities.  By  the  author  of  "Charcoal 
Sketches,"  "Peter  Faber,"  <fcc.  With  Illustrations  from  original 
designs,  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

TtlDOW  RUGBY'S  HUSBAND,  a  Night  at  the  Ugly  Man's,  and  other 
Tales  of  Alabama.  By  author  of  "  Simon  Suggs."  With  original 
Illustrations.  Price  Fifty  cents. 


14     T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS. 
HUMOROUS  AMERICAN  WORKS. 

MAJOR  O'REGAN'S  ADVENTURES.  By  Hon.  II.  11.  Braekenridge. 
With  Illustrations  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

SOL.  SMITH;  THEATRICAL  APPRENTICESHIP  AND  ANECDOTAL 
RECOLLECTIONS  OF  SOL.  SMITH,  Esq.,  Comedian,  Lawyer, 
etc.  Illustrated  by  Darley.  Containing  Early  Scenes,  Wanderings 
in  the  West,  Cincinnati  in  Early  Life,  etc.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

SOL.  SMITH'S  NEW  BOOK;  THE  THEATRICAL  JOURNEY-WORK 
AND  ANECDOTAL  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  SOL.  SMITH,  Esq., 
with  a  portrait  of  Sol.  Smith.  It  comprises  a  Sketch  of  the  second 
Seven  years  of  his  professional  life,  together  with  some  Sketches  of 
Adventure  in  after  years.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

POLLY  PEABLOSSOM'S  WEDDING,  and  other  Tales.  By  the  author 
of  "  Major  Jones'  Courtship/'  "  Streaks  of  Squatter  Life,"  etc.  Price 
Fifty  cents. 

FRANK  FORESTER'S  WARWICK  WOODLANDS;  or,  Things  as 
they  were  Twenty  Years  Ago.  By  the  author  of  "The  Quorndon 
Hounds,"  "My  Shooting  Box,"  "The  Deer  Stalkers,"  etc.  With 
Illustrations,  illuminated.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

LOUISIANA  SWAMP  DOCTOR.  By  Madison  Tensas,  M.  D.,  Ex.  V.  P. 
M.  S.  U.  Ky.  Author  of  "  Cupping  on  the  Sternum."  With  Illustra 
tions  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

NEW  ORLEANS  SKETCH  BOOK,  by  "Stahl,"  author  of  the  "  Port 
folio  of  a  Southern  Medical  Student."  With  Illustrations  from 
designs  by  Darley.  Price  Fifty  cents. 

FRENCH,  GERMAN,  SPANISH,  LATIN,  AND 
ITALIAN  LANGUAGES. 

Any  person  unacquainted  with  either  of  the  above  languages,  can,  with 
the  aid  of  these  works,  be  enabled  to  read,  write  and  apeak  the  language  of 
either,  without  the  aid  of  a  teacher  or  any  oral  instruction  whatever,  pro 
vided  they  pay  strict  attention  to  the  instructions  laid  down  in  each  book, 
and  that  nothing  shall  be  passed  over,  without  a  thorough  investigation 
of  the  subject  it  involves :  by  doing  which  they  will  be  able  to  speak,  read 
or  write  either  language,  at  their  will  and  pleasure.  Either  of  these  works 
is  invaluable  to  any  persons  wishing  to  learn  these  languages,  and  are 
worth  to  any  one  One  Hundred  times  their  cost.  These  works  have 
already  run  through  several  largo  editions  in  this  country,  for  no  person 
ever  buys  one  without  recommending  it  to  his  friends. 

FRENCH  WITHOUT  A  MASTER.     In  Six  Easy  Lessons. 
GERMAN  WITHOUT  A  MASTER.     In  Six  Easy  Lessons. 
SPANISH  WITHOUT  A  MASTER.     In  Four  Easy  Lessons. 
ITALIAN  WITHOUT  A  MASTER.     In  Five  Easy  Lessons. 
LATIN   WITHOUT  A  MASTER.      In  Six  Easy  Lessons. 

Price  of  either  of  the  above  Works,  separate,  25  cents  each — or  the 
whole  five  may  be  had  for  One  Dollar,  and  will  be  sent  free  of  pottage  to 
•ny  one  on  their  remitting  that  amount  to  the  publisher,  in  a  letter. 


T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS.      15 
WORKS  BY  THE  BEST  AUTHORS. 

FLIRTATIONS  IN  AMERICA;  OR  HIGH  LIFE  IN  NEW  YORK.    A 

capital  book.     285  pages.     Price  50  cents. 

DON  QUIXOTTE.— ILLUSTRATED  LIFE  AND  ADVENTURES  OF 
DON  QUIXOTTE  DE  LA  MANCHA,  and  his  Squire  Sancho  Panza, 
with  all  the  original  notes.  300  pages.  Price  75  cents. 

WILD  SPORTS  IN  THE  WEST.  By  W.  II.  Maxwell,  author  of  «  Pic 
torial  Life  and  Adventures  of  Grace  O'Malley."  Price  50  cents. 

THE  ROMISH  CONFESSIONAL  j  or,  the  Auricular  Confession  and  Spi 
ritual  direction  of  the  Roinish  Church.  Its  History,  Consequences, 
and  policy  of  the  Jesuits.  By  M.  Michclct.  Price  50  cents. 

GENEVRA  ;  or,  the  History  of  a  Portrait.  By  Miss  Fairfield,  one  of  the 
hcst  writers  in  America.  200  pages.  Price  50  cents. 

WILD  OATS  SOWN  ABROAD  ;  OR,  ON  AND  OFF  SOUNDINGS.  It 
is  the  Private  Journal  of  a  Gentleman  of  Leisure  and  Education,  and 
of  a  highly  cultivated  mind,  in  making  the  tour  of  Europe.  It  shows 
up  all  the  High  and  Low  Life  to  bo  found  in  all  the  fashionable  re- 
eorts  in  Paris.  Price  50  cents  in  paper  cover,  or  75  cents  in  cloth,  gilt. 

6ALATHIEL;  OR,  THE  WANDERING  JEW.  By  Rev.  George  Croly. 
One  of  the  best  and  most  world-wide  celebrated  books  that  has  ever 
been  printed.  Price  50  cents. 

LLORENTE'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  INQUISITION  IN  SPAIN.  Only 
edition  published  in  this  country.  Price  50  cents;  or  handsomely 
bound  in  muslin,  gilt,  price  75  cents. 

DR.  HOLLICK'S  NEW  BOOK.  ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY, 
with  a  large  dissected  plate  of  the  Human  Figure,  colored  to  Life. 
By  the  celebrated  Dr.  Hollick,  author  of  "  The  Family  Physician," 
"  Origin  of  Life,"  etc.  Price  One  Dollar. 

DR.  HOLLICK'S  FAMILY  PHYSICIAN;  OR,  THE  TRUE  ART  OF 
HEALING  THE  SICK.  A  book  that  should  be  in  the  house  of 
every  family.  It  is  a  perfect  treasure.  Price  25  cents. 

MYSTERIES  OF  THREE  CITIES.  Boston,  New  York,  and  Philadel 
phia.  Revealing  the  secrets  of  society  in  these  various  cities.  All 
should  read  it.  By  A.  J.  II.  Duganne.  200  pages.  Price  50  cents. 

BED  INDIANS  OF  NEWFOUNDLAND.  A  beautifully  illustrated  In 
dian  Story,  by  the  author  of  the  "  Prairie  Bird."  Price  50  cents. 

HARRIS'S  ADVENTURES  IN  AFRICA.  This  book  is  a  rich  treat. 
Two  volumes.  Price  One  Dollar,  or  handsomely  bound,  $1  50. 

THE  PETREL;  OR,  LOVE  ON  THE  OCEAN.  A  sea  novel  equal  to  the 
best.  By  Admiral  Fisher.  200  pages.  Price  50  cents. 

ARISTOCRACY,  OR  LIFE  AMONG  THE  "UPPER  TEN."  A  true 
novel  of  fashionable  life.  By  J.  A.  Nunes,  Esq.  Price  50  cents. 

THE  CABIN  AND  PARLOR.  By  J.  Thornton  Randolph.  It  in 
beautifully  illustrated.  Price  50  cents  in  paper  cover  ;  or  a  finer  edi 
tion,  printed  on  thicker  and  better  paper,  and  handsomely  bound  in 
muslin,  gilt,  is  published  for  One  Dollar. 

LIFE  IN  THE  SOUTH.  A  companion  to  "  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin."  Bjr 
C.  H.  Wiley.  Beautifully  illustrated  from  original  designs  by  Par 
ley.  Price  50  cents. 


16     T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS. 
WORKS  BY  THE  BEST  AUTHORS. 

SKETCHES  IN  IRELAND.  By  William  M.  Thackeray,  author  of 
"Vanity  Fair,"  "History  of  Pendennis,"  etc.  Price  50  cents. 

THE  ROMAN  TRAITOR;  OR,  THE  DAYS  OF  CATALINE  AND 
CICERO.  By  Henry  William  Herbert.  This  is  one  of  the  mo?t 
powerful  Roman  stories  in  the  English  language,  and  is  of  itself  suffi 
cient  to  stamp  tho  writer  as  a  powerful  man.  Complete  in  two  large 
volumes,  of  over  250  pages  each,  paper  cover,  price  One  Dollar,  or 
bound  in  one  volume,  cloth,  for  $1  25. 

THE  LADY'S  WORK-TABLE  BOOK.  Full  of  plates,  designs,  diagram?, 
and  illustrations  to  learn  all  kinds  of  needlework.  A  work  every 
Lady  should  possess.  Price  50  cents  in  paper  cover;  or  bound  iu 
crimson  cloth,  gilt,  for  75  cents. 

THE  COQUETTE.  One  of  the  best  books  ever  written.  One  volume,  oc 
tavo,  over  200  pages.  Price  50  cents. 

WHITEFRIARS ;  OR,  THE  DAYS  OF  CHARLES  THE  SECOND.  An 
Historical  Romance.  Splendidly  illustrated  with  original  designs,  by 
Chapin.  It  is  the  best  historical  romance  published  for  years.  Price 
50  cents. 

WHITEHALL ;  OR,  THE  TIMES  OF  OLIVER  CROMWELL.  By  the 
author  of  "White friars."  It  is  a  work  which,  for  just  popularity  and 
intensity  of  interest,  has  not  been  equalled  since  the  publication  of 
"  Waverly."  Beautifully  illustrated.  Price  50  cents. 

THE  SPITFIRE.  A  Nautical  Romance.  By  Captain  Chamier,  author 
of  "  Life  and  Adventures  of  Jack  Adams."  Illustrated.  Price  50  cents. 

UNCLE  TOM'S  CABIN  AS  IT  IS.  One  large  volume,  illustrated, 
bound  in  cloth.  Price  $1  25. 

FATHER  CLEMENT.  By  Grace  Kennady,  author  of  "Dunallen," 
"  Abbey  of  Innismoyle,"  etc.  A  beautiful  book.  Price  50  cents. 

THE  ABBEY  OF  INNISMOYLE.  By  Grace  Kennady,  author  of  "Fa- 
ther  Clement."  Equal  to  any  of  her  former  works.  Pnce  25  cents. 

THE  FORTUNE  HUNTER ;  a  novel  of  New  Yonc  society,  Upper  and 
Lower  Tenaom.  By  Mrs.  Anna  Cora  Mowatt.  Price  38  cents. 

POCKET  LIBRARY  OF  USEFUL  KNOWLEDGE.  New  and  enlarged 
edition,  with  numerous  engravings.  Twenty  thousand  copies  sold. 
We  have  never  seen  a  volume  embracing  any  thing  like  the  same 
quantity  of  useful  matter.  The  work  is  really  a  treasure.  It  should 
speedily  find  its  way  into  every  family.  It  also  contains  a  large  and 
entirely  new  Map  of  the  United  States,  with  full  page  portraits  of 
the  Presidents  of  the  United  States,  from  Washington  until  the  pre 
sent  time,  executed  in  the  finest  style  of  the  art.  Price  50  cents  a 
copy  only. 

HENRY  CLAY'S  PORTRAIT.  Nagle'a  correct,  full-length  Mezzotinto 
Portrait,  and  only  true  likeness  ever  published  of  the  distinguished 
Statesman.  Engraved  by  Snrtain.  Size,  22  by  30  inches.  Price 
$1  00  a  copy  only.  Originally  sold  at  $5  00  a  copy. 

THE  MISER'S  HEIR;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  MILLIONAIRE.  A  story 
of  a  Guardian  and  his  Ward.  A  prize  novel.  By  P.  H.  Myers,  author 
of  the  "  Emigrant  Squire."  Price  50  cents  in  paper  cover,  or  75  cent* 
in  oloth,  gilt. 


T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS.     17 
WORKS  BY  THE  BEST  AUTHORS. 

THE  TWO  LOVERS.  A  Domestic  Story.  It  la  a  highly  interesting  nxd 
companionable  book,  conspicuous  for  its  purity  of  sentiment — ila 
graphic  and  vigorous  style — its  truthful  delineations  of  character — 
and  deep  and  powerful  interest  of  its  plot.  Price  38  cents. 

ARRAII  NEIL.    A  novel  by  G.  P.  R.  James.    Price  50  cents. 

BIEGE  OF  LONDONDERRY.  A  History  of  the  Siege  of  Londonderry, 
and  Defence  of  Enniskillen,  in  1688  wud  1689,  by  the  Rev.  John 
Graham.  Price  37  cents. 

VICTIMS  OF  AMUSEMENTS.  By  Martha  Clark,  and  dedicated  by  the 
author  to  the  Sabbath  Schools  of  the  land.  One  vol.,  cloth,  38  cents. 

FREAKS  OF  FORTUNE;  or,  The  Life  and  Adventures  of  Ned  Lorn. 
By  the  author  of  "  Wild  Western  Scenes."  One  volume,  cloth.  Price 
One  Dollar. 

WORKS  AT  TWENTY-FIVE   CENTS  EACH. 

GENTLEMAN'S  SCIENCE  OF  ETIQUETTE,  AND  GUIDE  TO  SO- 
CIETY.  By  Count  Alfred  D'Orsay  With  a  portrait  of  Count  D'Or- 
say.  Price  25  cents. 

LADIES'  SCIENCE  OF  ETIQUETTE.  By  Countess  de  Calabrella,  with 
her  full-length  portrait.  Price  25  cents. 

ELLA  STRATFORD ;  OR,  THE  ORPHAN  CHILD.  By  the  Countess 
of  Blessington.  A  charming  and  entertaining  work.  Price  25  cents. 

GHOST  STORIES.  Full  of  illustrations.  Being  a  Wonderful  Book. 
Price  25  cents. 

ADMIRAL'S  DAUGHTER.  By  Mrs.  Marsh,  author  of  "Ravens- 
clifle."  One  volume,  octavo.  Price  25  cents. 

THE  MONK.  A  Romance.  By  Matthew  G.  Lewis,  Esq.,  M.  P.  All 
should  road  it.  Price  25  cents. 

DIARY  OF  A  PHYSICIAN.  Second  Series.  By  S.  C.  Warren,  author 
of  "  Ten  Thousand  a  Year."  Illustrated.  Price  25  cents. 

ABEDNEGO,  THE  MONEY  LENDER.    By  Mrs.  Gore.     Price  25  cents. 

MADISON'S  EXPOSITION  OF  THE  AWFUL  CEREMONIES  OP 
ODD  FELLOWSHIP,  with  20  plates.  Price  25  cents. 

GLIDDON'S  ANCIENT  EGYPT,  HER  MONUMENTS,  HIEROGLY 
PHICS,  HISTORY,  ETC.  Full  of  plates.  Price  25  cents. 

BEAUTIFUL  FRENCH  GIRL;  or  the  Daughter  of  Monsieur  Fon- 
tanbleu.  Price  25  cents. 

MYSTERIES  OF  BEDLAM;  OR,  ANNALS  OF  THE  LONDON  MAD 
HOUSE.  Price  25  cents. 

JOSEPHINE.  A  Story  of  the  Heart.  By  Grace  Aguilar,  author  of 
"  Home  Influence,"  "  Mother's  Recompense,"  etc.  Price  25  cents. 

EVA  ST.  CLAIR ;  AND  OTHER  TALES.  By  G.  P.  R.  James,  E«q., 
author  of  "  Richelieu."  Price  25  cents. 

AGNES  GREY;  AN  AUTOBIOGRAPHY.  By  the  author  of  "Jane 
Eyre,"  "  Shirley,"  etc.  Price  25  cets. 

BELL  BRANDON,  AND  THE  WITHERED  FIG  TREE.  By  P.  Hamil 
ton  Myers.  A  Three  Hundred  Dollar  prize  novel.  Price  25  cocta. 


18     T.  B.  PETERSON'S  LIST  OF  PUBLICATIONS. 
WORKS  AT  TWENTY-FIVE  CENTS  EACH. 

KNOWLSON'S  COMPLETE  CATTLE,  OR  COW  DOCTOR.  Whoov«T 
owns  a  cow  should  have  this  book.  Price  25  cents. 

KNOWLSON'S  COMPLETE  FARRIER,  OR  HORSE  DOCTOR.  All 
that  own  a  horse  should  possess  this  work.  Price  25  cents. 

Till!  COMPLETE  KITCHEN  AND  FRUIT  GARDENER,  FOR  POPU 
LAR  AND  GENERAL  USE.  Price  25  cents. 

THE  COMPLETE  FLORIST ;  OR  FLOWER  GARDENER.  Tho  bo* 
in  the  world.  Price  25  cents. 

THE  EMIGRANT  SQUIRE.     By  author  of  "Bell  Brandon."    25  cents. 

PHILIP  IN  SEARCH  OF  A  WIFE.  By  the  author  of  "  Kate  in  Search 
of  a  Husband."  Price  25  cents. 

MYSTERIES  OF  A  CONVENT.  By  a  noted  Methodist  Preacher.  Price 
25  cents. 

THE  ORPHAN  SISTERS.  It  is  a  tale  such  as  Miss  Austen  might  have 
been  proud  of,  and  Goldsmith  would  not  have  disowned.  It  is  well 
told,  aud  excites  a  strong  interest.  Price  25  cents. 

THE  DEFORMED.  One  of  the  best  novels  ever  written,  and  THE 
CHARITY  SISTER.  By  Hon.  Mrs.  Norton.  Price  25  cents. 

LIFE  IN  NEW  YORK.  IN  DOORS  AND  OUT  OF  DOORS.  By  the 
late  William  Burns.  Illustrated  by  Forty  Engravings.  Price  25  cents. 

JENNY  AMBROSE ;  OR,  LIFE  IN  THE  EASTERN  STATES.  An  ex- 
cellent  book.  Price  25  cents. 

MORETON  HALL;  OR,  THE  SPIRITS  OF  THE  HAUNTED  HOUSE. 
A  Tale  founded  on  Facts.  Price  25  cents. 

RODY  THE  ROVER;  OR  THE  RIBBON  MAN.  An  Irish  Tale.  By 
William  Carleton.  One  volume,  octavo.  Price  25  cents. 

AMERICA'S  MISSION.     By  Rev.  Charles  Wadsworth.     Price  25  cents. 
POLITICS  IN  RELIGION.   By  Rev.  Charles  Wadsworth.    Price  12*  cts. 

Professor  LIEBIG'S  Works  on  Chemistry. 

AGRICULTURAL  CHEMISTRY.  Chemistry  in  its  application  to  Agri 
culture  and  Physiology.  Price  Twenty-five  cents. 

ANIMAL  CHEMISTRY.  Chemistry  in  its  application  to  Physiology  and 
Pathology.  Price  Twenty-five  cents. 

FAMILL1R  LETTERS  ON  CHEMISTRY,  and  its  relations  to  Commerce, 
Physiology  and  Agriculture. 

TUB  POTATO  DISEASE.  Researches  into  the  motion  of  the  Juices  in 
the  animal  body. 

CHEMISTRY  AND  PHYSICS  IN  RELATION  TO  PHYSIOLOGY 
AND  PATHOLOGY. 

T.  B.  PETERSON  also  publishes  a  complete  edition  of  Professor 
Liebig's  works  on  Chemistry,  comprising  the  whole  of  the  above.  They 
are  bound  in  one  large  royal  octavo  volume,  in  Muslin  gilt.  Price  for  th« 
complete  works  bound  in  one  volume,  One  Dollar  and  Fifty  cents.  Th» 
three  last  axe  not  published  separately  from  the  bound  volume. ' 


GREATINDUCEMENTS  FOR    -857, 


PETERSONS  MAGAZINE 

THE  BEST  AND  CHEAPEST  IN  THE  WOULD  FOR  LADIES. 

Thi§  popular  Magazine,  already  the  cheapest  and  best  Monthly  of  its  kind  in  the  World, 
Vrill  be  greatly  improved  for  1857.  It  will  contain  900  pages  of  double-column  reading 
matter;  from  twenty  to  thirty  Steel  Plates;  and  Five  /Zwwdred  Wood  Engravings:  which 
i*  proportionately  more  than  any  periodical,  of  any  price,  ever  yet  gave. 

ITS   THRILLING  ORIGINAL  STORIES 

Are  pronounced  by  the  newspaper  press,  the  best  published  anywhere.  The  editors  are  Mrs. 
Ann  S.  Stephens,  author  of  "  The  Old  Homestead,"  "Fashion  and  Famine,"  and  Charles 
J.  Peterson,  author  of  "Mabel,"  "Kate  Aylesford,"  "The  Valley  Farm,"  etc.  They  are 
assisted  by  a  corps  of  original  contributors,  such  as  no  lady's  Magazine  ever  had*.  Mrs. 
K.  D.  E.  N.  Southworth,  author  of  "The  Lost  Heiress,"  "  Ketribution,"  etc.,  etc.,  is  en 
gaged  to  write  a  nouvellette  for  1857.  Alice  Cary,  Virginia  F.  Townsend,  Caroline  E. 
Fairfield,  Hetty  Ilolyoke,  E.  W.  Dewees,  Ella  Rodman,  Carry  Stanley,  Clara  Moreton, 
Ellen  Ashton.  etc.,  etc..  will  also  contribute  regularly.  New  talent  ia  continually  being 
added,  regardless  of  expense,  so  as  to  keep  "  Peterson's  Magazine"  unapproachable  ia 
merit.  Morality  and  virtue  are  always  inculcated. 

Its  Colored  Fashion  Plates  in  Advance. 

Ij^T  It  is  the  only  Magazine  whose  Fashion  Plates  can  be  relied  on.  j^| 

Each  number  contains  a  Fashion  Plate,  engraved  on  Steel,  colored  d  la  mode,  and  of 
unrivalled  beauty.  The  Paris,  London,  Philadelphia,  and  New  York  Fashions  are  de- 
•cribed,  at  length,  each  month.  Every  number  also  contains  a  dozen  or  more  New  Styles, 
engraved  on  Wood.  Also,  a  Pattern,  from  which  a  Dress,  Mantilla,  or  Child's  Costume, 
can  be  cut,  without  the  aid  of  a  mantuu-maker,  so  that  each  number,  in  this  way,  will 
taw  a  year's  subscription. 

Its  superb  MEZZOTINTS,  and  other  STEEL  ENGRAVINGS. 

Its  Illustrations  excel  those  of  any  other  Magazine,  each  number  containing  a  superb 
Steel  Engraving,  either  mezzotint  or  line,  besides  the  Fashion  Plate;  and,  in  addition,  nu 
merous  other  Engravings.  Wood  Cuts,  Patterns,  etc.,  etc.  The  Engravings,  at  the  end 
of  the  year,  alone  are  worth  the  subscription  price. 

PATTERNS  FOR  CROTCHET,  NEEDLEWORK,  ETC, 

In  th«»  greatest  profusion,  are  given  in  every  number,  with  instructions  how  to  work  them 
also,  Patterns  in  Embroidery,  Inserting,  Broiderie  Anglaise,  N  etting,  Lace-making,  etc., 
etc.  Also,  Patterns  ibr  Sleeves,  Collars,  and  Chemisettes  ;  Patterns  in  Head-work,  Hair- 
work,  Shell-work  ;  Handkerchief  Corners  ;  Names  for  Marking  and  Initials.  A  piece  of 
new  and  fashionable  Music  is  also  published  every  month.  On  the  whole,  it  is  the  most 
complete  Ladies'  Magazine  in  the  World.  TRY  IT  FOE  OJNB  YEAR. 

TERMS  :—  ALWAYS   IN   ADVANCE. 


One  copy  for  One  Year, $2  00 

Three  copies  for  One  Year, . .    5  00 
Five  copies  for  One  Year, ...    7  50 


Eight  copies  for  One  Year, .  .$10  00 
Twelve  copies  for  One  year,.  15  00 
Sixteen  copies  for  One  Year,  20  00 


Three,  Five,  Eight,  or  more  Copies,  make  a  Club.  Tfc^tjery  person  getting  up  a  Club 
at  the  above  prices,  and  remitting  the  money,  we  will  give',  gratis,  "  The  Garland  of  Art," 
containing  50  Steel  Plates;  or  "Mrs.  Widdifield's  Cook  Book,"  the  only  real  cook  book  ever 
yet  published ;  or  a  volume  of  "  Peterson"  for  1856.  For  a  Club  of  Twelve,  an  extra  copy 
of  the  Magazine  for  1857  will  be  given,  if  preferred.  For  a  Club  of  Sixteen,  an  extra  copy 
and  "The  Garland"  in  addition. 

Address,  post-paid,  CHARLES    J.    PETERSON, 

No.  109  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia. 
J93T  Specimens  sent,  gratuitously,  if  written  for,  post-paid. 

&jr  All  Postmasters  constituted  Agents ;  but  any  person  is  authorized  to  get  up  a  Club. 
46iT  In  remitting,  when  the  sum  ia  large,  a  draft  should  be  procured,  tho  cost  of  which 
m*y  be  tiwlucusd  from  the  autcou* 


T.  B.  PETERSON'S 

WHOLESALE  AND  KETAIL 
Cheap  Book,  Magazine,  Newspaper,  Publishing 

and  Bookselling  Establishment,  is  at 
No.   1O2   Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia. 


T.  B.  PETERSON  has  the  satisfaction  to  announce  to  the  public,  that  he  has  removed 
to  the  new  and  spacious  BROWN  STONE  BUILDING,  NO.  102  CHESTNUT  STREET, 
just  completed  by  the  city  authorities  on  the  Qirard  Estate,  known  as  the  most  centra} 
and  best  situation  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  As  it  is  the  Model  Book  Store  of  tho 
Country,  we  will  describe  it :  It  is  the  largest,  most  spacious,  and  best  arranged  Retail 
and  Wholesale  Cheap  Book  and  Publishing  Establishment  in  the  United  States.  It  is 
built,  by  the  Qirard  Estate,  of  Connecticut  sand-stone,  in  a  richly  ornamental  style. 
The  whole  front  of  the  lower  story,  except  that  taken  up  by  the  doorway,  is  occupied  by 
two  large  plate  glass  windows,  a  single  plate  to  each  window,  costing  together  over  threo 
thousand  dollars.  On  entering  and  looking  up,  you  find  above  you  a  ceiling  sixteen 
teet  high ;  while,  on  gazing  before,  you  perceive  a  vista  of  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-Seven 
feet  The  retail  counters  extend  back  for  eighty  feet,  and,  being  double,  afford  counter- 
room  of  One  Hundred  and  Sixty  feet  in  length.  There  is  also  over  Three  Thousand  feet 
of  shelving  in  the  retail  part  of  the,  store  alone.  This  part  is  devoted  to  the  retail  busi 
ness,  and  as  it  is  the  most  spacious  iu  the  country,  furnishes  also  the  best  and  largest 
assortment  of  all  kinds  of  books  to  be  found  in  the  country.  It  is  fitted  up  in  tho  most 
superb  style ;  the  shelvings  are  all  painted  in  Florence  white,  with  gilded  cornices  for 
the  book  shelves. 

Behind  the  retail  part  of  the  store,  at  about  ninety  feet  from  the  entrance,  is  th« 
counting-room,  twenty  feet  square,  railed  neatly  off,  and  surmounted  by  a  most  beauti 
ful  dome  of  stained  glass.  Jn  the  rear  of  this  is  the  wholesale  and  packing  department, 
extending  a  further  distance  of  about  sixty  feet,  with  desks  and  packing  counters  for  the 
establishment,  etc.,  etc.  All  goods  are  received  and  shipped  from  the  back  of  the  store, 
having  a  fine  avenue  on  the  side  of  Girard  Bank  for  the  purpose,  leading  out  to  Third 
Street,  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  and  block  up  the  front  of  the  store  on  Chestnut  Street. 
The  cellar,  of  the  entire  depth  of  the  store,  is  filled  with  printed  copies  of  Mr.  Peterson's 
own  publications,  printed  from  his  own  stereotype  plates,  of  which  he  generally  keeps 
on  hand  an  edition  of  a  thousand  each,  making  a  stock,  of  his  own  publications  alone, 
of  over  three  hundred  thousand  volumes,  constantly  on  hand. 

T.  B.  PETERSON  is  warranted  in  saying,  that  he  is  able  to  offer  such  inducement* 
to  the  Trade,  and  all  others,  to  favor  him  with  their  orders,  as  cannot  be  excelled  by  any 
book  establishment  in  the  country.  In  proof  of  this,  T.  B.  PETERSON  begs  leave  to 
refer  to  his  great  facilities  of  getting  stock  of  all  kinds,  his  dealing  direct  with  all  the 
Publishing  Houses  in  the  country,  and  also  to  his  own  long  list  of  Publications,  consisting 
of  the  best  and  most  popular  productions  of  the  most  talented  authors  of  the  United 
States  aud  Great  Britain,  and  to  his  very  extensive  stock,  embracing  every  work,  new  or 
old,  published  in  the  United  States. 

T.  B.  PETERSON  will  be  most  happy  to  supply  all  orders  for  any  books  at  all,  no 
matter  by  whom  published,  in  advance  of  all  others,  and  at  publishers'  lowest  cash 
prices.  He  respectfully  invites  Country  Merchants,  Booksellers,  Pedlars,  Canvassers, 
Agents,  the  Trade,  Strangers  in  the  city,  and  the  public  generally,  to  call  and  examine 
his  extensive  collection  of  cheap  and  standard  publications  of  all  kinds,  comprising  a 
most  magnificent  collection  of  CHEAP  BOOKS,  MAGAZINES,  NOVELS,  STANDARD 
and  POPULAR  WORKS  of  all  kinds,  BIBLES,  PRAYER  BOOKS,  ANNUALS,  GIFT 
BOOKS,  ILLUSTRATED  WORKS,  ALBUMS  and  JUVENILE  WORKS  of  all  kinds, 
GAMES  of  all  kinds,  to  suit  all  ages,  tastes,  etc.,  which  he  is  selling  to  his  customers 
and  the  public  at  much  lower  prices  than  they  can  be  purchased  elsewhere.  Being  lo 
cated  at  No.  102  CHESTNUT  Street,  the  great  thoroughfare  of  the  city,  and  BUYING 
his  stock  outright  in  large  quantities,  and  not  selling  on  commission,  he  can  and  will 
sell  them  on  such  terms  as  will  defy  all  competition.  Call  and  examine  our  stock,  you 
will  find  it  to  be  the  best,  largest  and  cheapest  in  the  city ;  and  you  will  also  be  sure  to 
and  all  the  best,  latest,  popular,  and  cheapest  works  published  in  this  country  or  o!-**- 
where,  for  sale  at  the  lowest  prices. 

49"  Call  in  person  and  examine  our  stock,  or  send  your  orders  by  mail  direct,  to  (be 
CHEAP  BOOKSELLING  and  PUBLISHING  ESTABLISHMENT  of 

T.  B.  PETERSON, 

61  No.  103  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphia 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Rf 

FE.B  2  0  1969  1  5 


LOAN   DL.,   , 


Due  end  o<  f 

subject  to  recall 


LD  21-100m-7,'52(A2528sl 


Cl3'71 
72  -2  PM 


91 


M145530  . 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


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